MOFs are a prominent class of materials with metallic centers (which could be either single cations or oxo-clusters) that are coordinated by organic molecules called linkers. Such linkers are multidentate and can therefore extend a network of coordinative bonds where each coordination point interacts with a different metallic center. These perfectly arranged coordinative networks can be crystalline and create closed structures with voids, called micropores (as per IUPAC recommendation, pores with dimensions under 2 nm are called micropores; between 2-50 nm mesopores; above 50 nm macropores). The beauty of these materials is that by changing the metallic or the organic counterpart, one can tune the nature of the generated porous structure. As it can be seen in Figure , the use of zinc and 2-methylimidazole will endow a MOF called ZIF-8, with micropores of 1.16 nm and a surface area of 1630 m 2 /g. However, if the linker is replaced by 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate (BDC) and the synthetic conditions are tuned accordingly, the MOF-5 will be obtained, which features larger micropores (1.51 nm) and larger surface area (up to 2900 m 2 /g). If the same linker is used (BDC) and now zirconium is employed as metallic building block, the MOF UiO-66 will be obtained, which features two micropore domains, the larger one being 1.1 nm and the smaller one 0.85 nm, with a total surface area of 1580 m 2 /g. By using the same building blocks and changing the linker to biphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid (about double the length of BDC), the MOF UiO-67 with wider 2.3 nm and 1.15 nm pores is prepared. This versatility in terms of chemistry and structure, translates also into the conditions that can/must be employed for the synthesis of MOFs and their integration in different platforms and devices. Detailed description of the MOF synthetic approaches is beyond the scope of this review as excellent dedicated works can be found in literature. However, selected examples of the synthetic approach for the preparation of MOFs will be provided to highlight the key principles behind the design of the substrates.