Glorious uncertainty—challenges for network design

This article discusses the challenges that face the crystal engineer in the deliberate design of new network structures. These include control over ligand and metal coordination geometry, selection of network topology from a number of possibilities which all have the same connectivity, and control of methods of increasing packing efficiency, including interpenetration (both number of nets (including only one) and topology of interpenetration). These variables can lead to polymorphism and related phenomena, the bane of crystal engineers. Templation by counterions, guest molecules and/or solvents can also lead to unpredictable results.