Themed collection FOCUS: Design and applications of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)

Surface modification of MOF particle for overcoming biological barriers.

The review covers POMOF materials synthesis, modification, and unique properties, focusing on biomedical sensors and therapies. Finally, the review summarises the challenges and developments of POMOFs in biomedicine.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising water adsorbents with a controllable absorption humidity range, superior water capacity, and tailorable regeneration conditions.

A schematic illustration of ZIF-90 nanocomposites applied to anticancer therapy, biomedical imaging and other fields for the treatment of different diseases.

This review summarizes the recent advances in the design of MOF-based 2e-ORR electrocatalysts for H₂O₂ production with the current challenges and future perspectives discussed, aiming to inspire the further development of this emerging field.

This review summarizes the four main synthesis strategies of MOF-derived materials, and the feasibility and challenges of MOF-derived materials in ECO₂RR are discussed.

For electrocatalytic water splitting, MOFs can be optimized through structural modification, plane design and synergetic composite systems, and the annealing process further expands the types of MOF-based electrocatalytic materials.

This review highlights recent research progress in MOF materials for the important separation of gaseous hydrocarbons, especially for ethylene, propylene, and butadiene. The uniqueness of MOFs to achieve those progress is also outlined.

This review explores synthetic strategies for macroscopic aligned MOFs, enhancing properties without structural designs or post-synthetic reactions.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are solid crystalline materials formed by the self-assembly of organic ligands and metal ions or clusters. Combining the advantages of membrane separation and MOFs, MOFs-based membranes are used in water treatment.

Schematic diagram of MOF-based SERS sensing platforms for life and health detection.

MOF/COF composites constructed by heterojunction, functionalization, or integration show enhanced performance in photo-, thermo-, and electrocatalysis. This review is informative for rational design and mechanism understanding of MOF/COF catalysts.

This review summarizes the recent research efforts on MOFs/COFs employed in Zn anodes of zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) and analyzes the structure-property relationship to guide the rational design of MOFs/COFs for future ZIB applications.

In this review, recent advancement of MOF based materials and their role towards OER is explored. Tuning of structures by adopting various synthetic strategical techniques are discussed for the first time.

This review provides current research progress on rare earth MOFs, including synthesis methods and photocatalytic and electrocatalytic applications of rare earth MOFs.

This review summarizes the recent advances in upgrading FFR to high value-added chemicals using MOF-based heterogeneous catalysts.

Two metal–organic framework catalysts with different cobalt coordination environments demonstrate the importance of coordinated-unsaturated metal sites for photocatalytic water oxidation.

A series of fluorinated UiO-66 was prepared using the bottom-up method. The composites of 2CF₃-UiO-66 and cotton show excellent oil–water separation efficiency (up to 99.66%).

2D pyrene-based metal–organic framework nanobelts for the photocatalytic coupling of thiols into disulfides.

Eu-MOF-T can transform into Eu-MOF-S under solvents. Eu-MOF-S can convert into Eu-MOF-T upon temperature. Eu-MOF-S demonstrates a superior photocatalytic CO₂RR capacity of 7886.1 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, Eu-MOF-T is only 599.7 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹.

Metal hydroxides and oxyhydroxides are efficient catalysts for electrochemical oxygen evolution reactions.

A defect-rich Ru/Ni–CeO₂ catalyst was fabricated using a MOF-mediated pyrolysis-reduction strategy. The robust EMSI effect between Ru and Ni–CeO₂ with abundant Ni defects provides striking HOR activity and resistance to CO poisoning.

The stability of MOFs in aqueous environments is influenced by the linker topicity rather than by the connectivity. Only MIP-200 survives the alkaline environment.

A cadmium-based photoactive MOF was designed to achieve fluorescence sensing to various hazardous analytes, especially UO₂²⁺, and to exhibit photochromic behavior in response to light exposure.

Synthesize and tune a series of trimetallic sulfides to achieve efficient catalysis for the OER.

The electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction to NH₃ performance of five Co(Ni)-MOFs with a similar structure can be optimized significantly by adjusting the functional block of the pyridine-bridging ligands.

We provided a convenient approach to integrate the 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole-based organic linker into a UiO-68-type MOF as the first example generating O₂˙⁻ and ¹O₂ for the green synthesis of benzimidazoles and benzothiazoles.

We obtained MOF–polymer distinguished from conventional pore clogging by coaxial electrospinning. After activation, Li-IL was ligand-loaded with MOF to obtain a CSE with a high efficiency combination of the three systems and excellent performance.

This study proposes a precise base-etching process to prepare MOF-derived Ir-doped ZnCo oxides as electrocatalysts with advantages of improved porous nanostructures and in situ formed oxygen vacancies.

Cd-PNMI, a white-light-emitting MOF, demonstrates ratiometric fluorescence quenching of nitro explosives and toxic substances, and possesses the capability to rapidly and selectively adsorb Rhodamine B and fluorescein dyes from waste liquids.

A tumor microenvironment-specifically activated POM@MOF was developed for PTT/CDT combination therapy against tumor cells.

A stable Cu(I)-carboxylate MOF is fabricated by ascorbic acid reduction, which breaks HSAB theory and achieves in situ phase transitions. The resultant Cu₂H₂DOBDC acting as a CuAAC catalyst exhibited superior catalytic performance.

The critical element of an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) chiral sensor is the chiral electrode modifier.

This work provides a sunlight sensitive MOF film with the unique advantage of easy and superfast preparation, and environmentally-friendly self-sterilization, offering a potential approach for the long-term usage of disposable protective equipment.

A novel Ni-based MOF material, TUTJ-201Ni, with accessible oxygen sites, was constructed. The material displayed ultrahigh thermal stability, showing a high separation performance for CH₄/N₂ mixture.

Zn(II) chiral MOFs with BINOL and D-camphoric acid exhibit exceptional enantioselectivity as chiral fluorescence sensors.

Two phenothiazine derivatives and a Cd-MOF (Cd-PTZ-db) were synthesised and investigated for their anti-Kasha’s rule emissions in solid state. Cd-PTZ-db can be further applied for the detection of ClO⁻ (hypochlorite).

Herein, a highly sensitive detection platform for the dual-mode determination of sarcosine by fluorescence and colorimetry was constructed based on zirconium-based metal organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs) with multi-enzyme immobilization.

Through soft-hard acid-base theory, a novel bimetallic MOF (JLU-MOF108) with an unprecedented 12-connected Cu₆ cluster SBU was synthesized. LAS and LBS inside JLU-MOF108 exhibited significant CO₂ capture and conversion capability.

The design of dual-functional catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction and ethanol oxidation reaction is essential for improving H₂ production efficiency, and one strategy to improve catalytic performance is the incorporation of high-valence metal.

Magnifying the turn-on luminescence and electrical resistivity of Mn^II₂-MOFs through the coupled effect of oxidation, metal ion adhesion, and pressure.

CoZnS@NSC nanoparticles derived from a CoZn-MOF were synthesized by an annealing–sulfurization strategy and used as co-catalysts for g-C₃N₄, which effectively augmented the photocatalytic H₂ production.

MOF-OH with a large number of local proton sources not only modifies the microenvironment but also enables efficient charge separation, which thus exhibited effective CO₂ capture and CO₂ reduction under visible-light irradiation.

In the quest for amplifying the inherent capabilities of noble metals, crafting precise metal–support interfacial bonds stands as a challenging yet fruitful endeavor.

A radiochromic semiconductor detector for dual-mode direct X-ray detection, showing rapid color changes and high sensitivity upon X-ray exposure, is reported. This allows quickly capturing object information through visual inspection and serves as an alternative means of direct X-ray detection.

In this contribution we demonstrate that metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with suitable underlying topological structure are amenable for the preparation of MOF-based substitutional solid-solutions (SSS) that follow Vegard's law.

A chelation coordination modulation (CCM) method has been developed for the synthesis of novel Ti-MOFs.

An ultrathin NiFe LDH/MOF catalyst is grown on carbon paper by an in situ self-dissociation–assembly strategy. Studies reveal that the strong electronic interaction between Fe and Ni species with rich active sites results in good OER and OWS performance.

We synthesized and characterized the amorphous Fe-doped ZIF-67. The nonlinear optical properties were enhanced in Fe-doped ZIF-67, producing the diverse mode-locking pulses.

A series of 2D {RE₉}-cluster-based rare-earth MOFs were built by dimensional reduction and active site addition strategies. They exhibit excellent catalytic activity in CO₂ fixation and Knoevenagel condensation under mild conditions.

The porous structure of the luminophore, catalyst and carrier, combined with multiple signal amplification and novel controlled release encapsulation strategies, achieving an efficient self-on ultrasensitive ECL immunoassay for PSA.

Nanocomposites were proposed and fabricated to simultaneously generate singlet oxygen (¹O₂) through energy transfer from SNPs to Hf-TCPP and hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) by the introduction of high-Z elements under low-dose X-ray irradiation.

Regulating the microenvironment of the S-scheme heterojunction interface to promote efficient photocatalytic aerobic organic reactions under mild conditions.

We for the first time, using a multicarboxyl modification strategy, integrated high density Fe-based catalytic centers and the clinically available ICG molecule into the same stable MOFs and obtained a novel self-oxygen generation enhanced PDT platform.

The introduction of organic side chains not only regulates the wettability of MOFs but also changes their structure/pore environment. This strategy provides a straightforward method to prepare superhydrophobic MOFs capable of efficient and selective separation of oil and water.

We report two imine-linked donor–acceptor (D–A) MOFs with Cu(I) cyclic trinuclear units (CTUs) via Schiff base condensations and their high photocatalytic activity for aerobic oxidation reaction of benzylamines.

A dual-ligand ratiometric fluorescence sensor based on lanthanide–metal–organic frameworks was successfully synthesised for the sensitive and convenient detection of DPA.

A recyclable MOF@polymer thin film composite was utilized for fast nanomolar fluorometric sensing of Hg(II) and ranitidine in serum, urine, tablets and waste water, and heterogeneous catalysis of Friedel–Crafts alkylation.

The three-dimensional MOF Cd-tcbpe undergoes ligand conformational compression under multi stimulus response conditions, resulting in sensitive and reversible fluorescence color changes. This multi stimulus response behavior could be widely applied.

We demonstrate an environment-friendly universal methodology to control MOF crystal dimensions from nanometres to micrometres only by introducing an oil-in-water microemulsion.

Confinement laser dye into two novel adenine-containing metal-organic frameworks with the same components but different pore environments and topologies exhibited distinct adsorptive luminescence behaviours.

Development of structurally unique Zn_0.5Cd_0.5S (with twin structure and S vacancies) and a Zn_0.5Cd_0.5S-based metal–organic framework for photocatalytic applications.

An ultrathin 2D MOF nanosheet with cage-like cavities was constructed, which showed an outstanding Pb²⁺ uptake capacity of 738.65 mg g⁻¹ as well as ultrahigh selectivity and anti-interference performance.

A highly connected Tb-MOF possessing a specific nanotrap enriched with nonpolar aromatic rings shows an excellent inverse adsorption of C₂H₆ over C₂H₄ for one-step C₂H₄ purification.

A full battery was assembled with the CoNiMn-LDH cathode and the Bi₂O₃ anode derived from MOF templates, and achieved significant long-term cycling stability.

We report the confined growth of nickel, iron-metal–organic framework electrodes characteristic of porous yet densely packed architectures, which shows excellent activities toward oxygen evolution at the practical levels of catalyst loadings.

Flexible strontium-based metal–organic framework scintillation screens with strong radioluminescence sensitivity and water resistance were applied for high-resolution X-ray imaging.

By judiciously controlling the twisted conjugation between ligands and coordinated carboxylates to inhibit intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer process, an acridone-based metal–organic framework was obtained for efficient photocatalysis.

Via in situ structural transformation, hydrophobic hierarchically porous CsPbBr₃@Pb-MOF with oxygen vacancies is prepared for efficient photoreduction of CO₂ in the gas–solid mode.

RhO₄-HTC and RhN₂O₂-HTC based on 2D conductive MOFs are screened out as potential OER and ORR bifunctional electrocatalysts by using DFT calculations.