AbstractThe burgeoning field of metal − organic frameworks or porous coordination polymers has received increasing interest in recent years. In the last decade these microporous materials have found several applications including storage and separation of gases, sensors, catalysis and functional materials. In order to better design new metal − organic frameworks and porous coordination polymers with specific functionalities a fundamental issue is to achieve a basic understanding of the relationship between molecular parameters and structures, preferred adsorption sites and properties by using using modern theoretical methods. The focus of this mini‐review is a description of the potential and emerging applications of metal − organic frameworks. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry