Supramolecular chemistry-based materials on SO2 capture: recent advances

Abstract

The urgent need for efficient methods to detect, monitor, and capture toxic and hazardous sulfur dioxide (SO₂) has driven the development of new devices for this purpose. Due to its significant corrosiveness and high toxicity, a key requirement for adsorbent materials is their ability to withstand deterioration, alongside possessing high gas sensitivity and selectivity. Within this domain, supramolecular chemistry has made substantial inroads through the development of innovative porous materials formed by the self-assembly of molecular building blocks, driven by diverse interactions. The complex architectures that result can be categorised as either extended networks, such as metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs), or as molecular cages, including metal–organic cages (MOCs) and porous organic cages (POCs). These materials have demonstrated high capture capacities, extremely sensitive detection limits, and even active sites for the catalytic transformation of adsorbed molecules. This review aims to highlight the primary contributions of these supramolecular materials to the experimental adsorption of SO₂, along with their most remarkable results.