Cyclodextrins (CDs) – a family of cyclic oligosaccharides – are ideal building blocks for the construction of environmentally benign materials. Herein, we reflect upon the serendipitous discovery of two classes of extended crystalline materials – referred to as cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks (CD-MOFs) and CD-Bamboo – based on CDs which offer opportunities for potential applications in the world of industry and commerce all the way from sequestering carbon dioxide to extracting gold in an

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... eco-friendly manner. The crucial role of serendipity in scientific research expresses itself two times over at the boundaries between coordination chemistry with materials science.