Metal-organic framework as a photocatalyst: Progress in modulation strategies and environmental/energy applications

By S. A. Younis, E. Kwon, M. Qasim, Ki‐Hyun Kim, Taejin Kim, Deepak Kukkar, Xiaomin Dou, I. Ali. 2020

239 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Abstract Progress in the design, synthesis, and modification of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has immensely helped expand their applications in a wide variety of research fields. Such developments offered great opportunities for upgrading their efficiencies in diverse photocatalytic applications (e.g., N2/CO2 reduction, H2 generation, organic synthesis, and environmental remediation) through enhanced conversion/storage of solar energy. The MOF-based photocatalytic platforms are, nonetheless, subject to many practical problems (e.g., inapplicability for industrial upscaling and thermodynamic instability under environmental conditions). In this review, the effects of synthesis/modification strategies on MOF photocatalysis have been discussed with respect to the type of inorganic nodes, the modulation of organic ligands, and the pre-/post-synthesis modification in MOF networks (i.e., MOF-based composite). Particular emphasis was placed on the technical advances achieved in the photoelectronic/catalytic performances of MOFs in multiple energy/environmental (redox) reactions based on both experimental and theoritical analyses. Further, the technical merits/disadvantages of MOF photocatalysts (in terms of structural defects, light absorption, active sites, and kinetic/thermodynamic stability) have been evaluated in relation to quantum efficiency and charge transfer mechanisms in various photo-redox reactions. The pursuit of strategies for enhanced kinetic stability of MOFs have also been highlighted based on the nature/strength of coordination modes, the inertness of metal centers, and the functionality of ligand types. Lastly, the current limitations of MOF-based photocatalysts are addressed with respect to their practical applications at industrial scales along with a discussion on their future use.

Subfields: Inorganic Chemistry, Materials Chemistry, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/2e90e8dbfc696acca7b7fc043a0bfe24010dab28