Disclosed are zirconium based metal organic frameworks with open metal sites, obtained by reacting zirconoyl chloride with a divalent linking ligand described by the terephthalate-like formula I shown below in DMF and formic acid. Disclosed are applications of such MOFs for gas storage, gas separation as well as storage of pharmaceuticals, toxic gases etc. A particular embodiment is a MOF described by the general formula : Zr6 (p3-O)4 (p3-0H)4 (-COO)8 (OH)4 (H2O) n, where n is an integer less than 10.