Structural survey of metal-covalent organic frameworks and covalent metal-organic frameworks

This review offers an overview of the latest developments in metal-covalent organic framework(MCOF)and covalent metal-organic framework(CMOF)materials,whose construction entails a combination of reversible coordination and covalent bonding adapted from metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)and covalent organic frameworks(COFs),respectively.With an emphasis on the MCOF and CMOF structures,this review surveys their building blocks and topologies.Specifically,the frameworks are classified based on the dimensions of their components(building blocks),namely,discrete building blocks and one-dimensional infinite building blocks.For the first category,the materials are further divided into collections of two-and three-dimensional networks based on their topologies.For the second category,the recently emerging MCOFs with woven structures are covered.Finally,the state-of-the-art in MCOF and CMOF chemistry has been laid out for promising avenues in future developments.

Metal-organic frameworks with mixed-ligands strategy as heterogeneous nucleation center to assist crystallization for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells

Deep-level defects and random oriented configuration in perovskite crystallization process would cause the nonradiative recombination and further affect the performance of perovskite solar cells(PSCs).Herein,two metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)with tunable Lewis-base passivation sites have been constructed(Cd-Httb and Cd-Httb-BDC,Httb=5-(4-(1H-1,2,4-triazole-1-yl)benzyl)-1h-tetrazole,BDC=1,4-dicarboxybenzene)to eliminate deep-level defects and simultaneously as nanostructured heterogeneous nucleation seed to assist the growth of large-grained perovskite films.Compared with the control and Cd-Httb,Cd-Httb-BDC designed with mix-ligands strategy exhibited the enhanced inducted effect on the crystallization and nucleation of high-quality perovskite films during annealing process.Consequently,the resultant Cd-Httb-BDC-modified device achieved higher power conversion efficiency(PCE)(22.18%)than the control(20.89%)and Cd-Httb(21.56%).Meanwhile,the unencapsulated Cd-Httb-BDC-modified device still maintained 90%of initial PCE after 1500 h in ambient conditions and exhibited enhanced thermal stability(85℃ in N_(2) atmosphere).This work presented a successful example of mixligands strategy on construction of high-quality MOF-assisted perovskite films for high-efficient and stable PSCs.

Nanoengineering Metal–Organic Frameworks and Derivatives for Electrosynthesis of Ammonia

Electrocatalytic synthesis under mild conditions has become increasingly important as one of the practical alternatives for industrial applications,especially for the green ammonia(NH_(3))industry.A properly engineered electrocatalyst plays a vital role in the realization of superior catalytic performance.Among various types of promising nanomaterials,metal–organic frameworks(MOFs)are competitive candidates for developing efficient electrocatalytic NH_(3) synthesis from simple nitrogen-containing molecules or ions,such as N_(2) and NO_(3)^(−).In this review,recent advances in the development of electrocatalysts derived from MOFs for the electrosynthesis of NH_(3) are collected,categorized,and discussed,including their application in the N_(2) reduction reaction(NRR)and the NO_(3)^(−)reduction reaction(NO3RR).Firstly,the fundamental principles are illustrated,such as plausible mechanisms of NH_(3) generation from N_(2) and NO_(3)^(−),the apparatus of corresponding electrocatalysis,parameters for evaluation of reaction efficiency,and detection methods of yielding NH_(3).Then,the electrocatalysts for NRR processes are discussed in detail,including pristine MOFs,MOF-hybrids,MOF-derived N-doped porous carbons,single atomic catalysts from pyrolysis of MOFs,and other MOF-related materials.Subsequently,MOF-related NO3RR processes are also listed and discussed.Finally,the existing challenges and prospects for the rational design and fabrication of electrocatalysts from MOFs for electrochemical NH_(3) synthesis are presented,such as the evolution of investigation methods with artificial intelligence,innovation in synthetic methods of MOF-related catalysts,advancement of characterization techniques,and extended electrocatalytic reactions.

Large-scale computational screening of metal–organic frameworks for D_(2)/H_(2) separation

Deuterium(D_(2)) is one of the important fuel sources that power nuclear fusion reactors. The existing D_(2)/H_(2) separation technologies that obtain high-purity D_(2) are cost-intensive. Recent research has shown that metal-organic frameworks(MOFs) are of good potential for D_(2)/H_(2) separation application. In this work, a high-throughput computational screening of 12020 computation-ready experimental MOFs is carried out to determine the best MOFs for hydrogen isotope separation application. Meanwhile, the detailed structure-performance correlation is systematically investigated with the aid of machine learning. The results indicate that the ideal D_(2)/H_(2) adsorption selectivity calculated based on Henry coefficient is strongly correlated with the 1/ΔAD feature descriptor;that is, inverse of the adsorbility difference of the two adsorbates. Meanwhile, the machine learning(ML) results show that the prediction accuracy of all the four ML methods is significantly improved after the addition of this feature descriptor. In addition, the ML results based on extreme gradient boosting model also revealed that the 1/ΔAD descriptor has the highest relative importance compared to other commonly-used descriptors. To further explore the effect of hydrogen isotope separation in binary mixture, 1548 MOFs with ideal adsorption selectivity greater than 1.5 are simulated at equimolar conditions. The structure-performance relationship shows that high adsorption selectivity MOFs generally have smaller pore size(0.3-0.5 nm) and lower surface area. Among the top 200 performers, the materials mainly have the sql, pcu, cds, hxl, and ins topologies.Finally, three MOFs with high D_(2)/H_(2) selectivity and good D_(2) uptake are identified as the best candidates,of all which had one-dimensional channel pore. The findings obtained in this work may be helpful for the identification of potentially promising candidates for hydrogen isotope separation.

Deep dive into anionic metal-organic frameworks based quasi-solid-state electrolytes

The development and application of high-capacity energy storage has been crucial to the global transition from fossil fuels to green energy.In this context,metal-organic frameworks(MOFs),with their unique 3D porous structure and tunable chemical functionality,have shown enormous potential as energy storage materials for accommodating or transporting electrochemically active ions.In this perspective,we specifically focus on the current status and prospects of anionic MOF-based quasi-solid-state-electrolytes(anionic MOF-QSSEs)for lithium metal batteries(LMBs).An overview of the definition,design,and properties of anionic MOF-QSSEs is provided,including recent advances in the understanding of their ion transport mechanism.To illustrate the advantages of using anionic MOF-QSSEs as electrolytes for LMBs,a thorough comparison between anionic MOF-QSSEs and other well-studied electrolyte systems is made.With these in-depth understandings,viable techniques for tuning the chemical and topological properties of anionic MOF-QSSEs to increase Li+conductivity are discussed.Beyond modulation of the MOFs matrix,we envisage that solvent and solid-electrolyte interphase design as well as emerging fabrication techniques will aid in the design and practical application of anionic MOF-QSSEs.

Ethylene purification in a metal–organic framework over a wide temperature range via pore confinement

The separation of C2H4from C_(2)H_(6)/C_(2)H_(4)mixture is of great importance but difficult and energy intensive. Adsorptive separation provides an alternative approach to ameliorate this situation. Here, we report a microporous metal–organic framework(MOF) BUT-315-a as a C_(2)H_(6)-selective adsorbent for the separation of C2H6/C2H4gas mixture. BUT-315-a combines good IAST selectivity of 2.35 with high C_(2)H_(6)uptake of 97.5 cm^(3)g^(-1), giving superior high separation potential ΔQ(2226 mmol L^(-1)) for equimolar C_(2)H_(6)/C_(2)H_(4) at 298 K. Impressively, such excellent performance can be preserved at higher temperatures of 313 and 323 K to accommodate industrial conditions. Efficient dynamic separation performance of BUT-315-a has been demonstrated by column breakthrough experiments under varied temperatures and gas ratios. Theoretical calculations further reveal multiple synergistic interactions between C_(2)H_(6) and the framework. This work highlights a new benchmark material for C_(2)H_(6)/C_(2)H_(4)separation and provides guidance for designing adsorbent for separation applications.

Integrated electrocatalysts derived from metal organic frameworks for gas-involved reactions

Integrated electrocatalysts(IECs)containing well-defined functional materials directly grown on the current collector have sparked increasing interest in the fields of electrocatalysis owing to efficient activity,high stability and the fact that they are easily assembled into devices.Recently,metal organic frameworks(MOFs)provide a promising platform for constructing advanced IECs because of their properties of low cost,large surface area and efficient structural tunability.In this review,the design principles of state-of-the-art IECs based on MOFs are presented,including by hydrothermal/solvothermal,template-directed,electrospinning,electrodeposition and other methods.The high performance of MOF-derived IECs has also been demonstrated in electrocatalytic gasinvolved reactions.This is promising for green energy storage and conversion.The structure-activity relationship and performance improvement mechanism of IECs are uncovered by discussing some in situ technologies for IECs.Finally,we provide an outlook on the challenges and prospects in this booming field.

A Review of Metal–Organic Framework-Based Compounds for Environmental Applications

Metal–organic framework-based compounds have recently gained great attention because of their unique porous structure,ordered porosity,and high specific surface area.Benefiting from these superior properties,metal–organic framework-based compounds have been proven to be one of the most potential candidates for environmental governance and remediation.In this review,the different types of metal–organic framework-based compounds are first summarized.Further,the various environmental applications of metal–organic framework-based compounds including organic pollutant removal,toxic and hazardous gas capture,heavy metal ion detection,gas separation,water harvesting,air purification,and carbon dioxide reduction reactions are discussed in detail.In the end,the opportunities and challenges for the future development of metal–organic framework-based compounds for environmental applications are highlighted.

Recent Progress in Synthesis, Mechanism and Applications of Zinc-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks for Fluorescent Sensing

As more and more pollutants threaten human health, it is necessary and essential to develop sensitive, accurate and rapid methods and sensory materials to detect harmful substance. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are inorganic-organic hybrids assembled from inorganic metal ions or clusters and suitable organic ligands. Zinc-based MOFs (Zn-MOFs) have emerged as one of the most promising sensory material of MOFs for practical applications, and attracted significant attention due to structural diversity and incomparable stability properties. However, there are few reviews on systemic summary of synthesis design, mechanism and application of Zn-MOFs. In this review, we summarize the synthesis design methods, structure types and luminescence mechanism of Zn-MOFs sensor recognition in the past ten years and their applications in metal cations, anions, organic compounds and other analytes. Finally, we present a short conclusion, and look forward to the future development direction of Zn-MOFs.

Metal organic polymers with dual catalytic sites for oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions

Metal-organic frameworks and covalent organic frameworks have been widely employed in electrochemical catalysis owing to their designable skeletons,controllable porosities,and well-defined catalytic centers.However,the poor chemical stability and low electron conductivity limited their activity,and single-functional sites in these frameworks hindered them to show multifunctional roles in catalytic systems.Herein,we have constructed novel metal organic polymers(Co-HAT-CN and Ni-HAT-CN)with dual catalytic centers(metal-N_(4) and metal-N_(2))to catalyze oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER).By using different metal centers,the catalytic activity and selectivity were well-tuned.Among them,Co-HAT-CN catalyzed the ORR in a 4e^(-)pathway,with a half-wave potential of 0.8 V versus RHE,while the Ni-HAT-CN catalyze ORR in a 2e^(-)pathway with H_(2)O_(2) selectivity over 90%.Moreover,the Co-HAT-CN delivered an overpotential of 350 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2) with a corresponding Tafel slope of 24 mV dec^(-1) for OER in a 1.0 M KOH aqueous solution.The experimental results revealed that the activities toward ORR were due to the M-N_(4) sites in the frameworks,and both M-N_(4) and M-N_(2) sites contributed to the OER.This work gives us a new platform to construct bifunctional catalysts.

Recent Progress on Engineering Highly Efficient Porous Semiconductor Photocatalysts Derived from Metal–Organic Frameworks

Porous structures o er highly accessible surfaces and rich pores, which facilitate the exposure of numerous active sites for photocatalytic reactions, leading to excellent performances. Recently, metal–organic frameworks(MOFs) have been considered ideal precursors for well-designed semiconductors with porous structures and/or heterostructures, which have shown enhanced photocatalytic activities. In this review, we summarize the recent development of porous structures, such as metal oxides and metal sulfides, and their heterostructures, derived from MOF-based materials as catalysts for various light-driven energy-/environment-related reactions, including water splitting, CO_2 reduction, organic redox reaction, and pollution degradation. A summary and outlook section is also included.

Metal–Organic Framework-Based Sensors for Environmental Contaminant Sensing

Increasing demand for timely and accurate environmental pollution monitoring and control requires new sensing techniques with outstanding performance, i.e.,high sensitivity, high selectivity, and reliability. Metal–organic frameworks(MOFs), also known as porous coordination polymers, are a fascinating class of highly ordered crystalline coordination polymers formed by the coordination of metal ions/clusters and organic bridging linkers/ligands. Owing to their unique structures and properties,i.e., high surface area, tailorable pore size, high density of active sites, and high catalytic activity, various MOF-based sensing platforms have been reported for environmental contaminant detection including anions, heavy metal ions,organic compounds, and gases. In this review, recent progress in MOF-based environmental sensors is introduced with a focus on optical, electrochemical, and field-effect transistor sensors. The sensors have shown unique and promising performance in water and gas contaminant sensing. Moreover, by incorporation with other functional materials, MOF-based composites can greatly improve the sensor performance. The current limitations and future directions of MOF-based sensors are also discussed.

Metal-organic frameworks for electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide: The role of metal centers

Direct electrochemical reduction of CO2 into valuable chemicals and fuel is one of the most promising approaches to address the current energy crisis and lower CO2 emission.Recently,numerous metal-organic framework(MOF)and their derived materials have extensively been developed as electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction owing to their unique structure including porosity,large specific surface area,and tunable chemical structures.In this review,the recent progress of MOF-based electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction was summarized and discussed.Detailed discussions mainly focus on the synthesis and mechanism of pristine MOFs and MOF-derived materials for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction.These examples are expected to provide clues to rational design and synthesis of stable and high-performance MOFs-based electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction.

Applications of metal–organic frameworks for green energy and environment: New advances in adsorptive gas separation, storage and removal

The separation of gas molecules with similar physicochemical properties is of high importance but practically entails a substantial energy penalty in chemical industry. Meanwhile, clean energy gases such as H_2 and CH_4 are considered as promising candidates for the replacement of traditional fossil fuels. However, the technologies for the storage of these gases are still immature. In addition, the release of anthropogenic toxic gases into the atmosphere is a worldwide threat of growing concern. Both in academia and industry, considerable research efforts have been devoted to developing advanced porous materials for the effective and energy-efficient separation, storage, or capture of the related gases. In contrast to conventional inorganic porous materials such as zeolites and activated carbons, metal–organic frameworks(MOFs) are considered as a type of promising materials for gas separation and storage. In this contribution, we review the recent research advance of MOFs in some relevant applications, including CO_2 capture, O_2 purification, separation of light hydrocarbons, separation of noble gases, storage of gases(CH_4,H_2, and C_2 H_2) for energy, and removal of some gaseous air pollutants(NH_3, NO_2, and SO_2). Finally, an outlook regarding the challenges of the future research of MOFs in these directions is given.

Hybridization of metal–organic framework and monodisperse spherical silica for chromatographic separation of xylene isomers

Metal–organic frameworks(MOFs) packed in the column have been a promising candidate as the stationary phase for high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). However, the direct packing of irregular MOF powder could raise some problems like high back pressure and low column efficiency in the HPLC separation. In this work, UiO-66 capable of separating xylenes was supported effectively on the surface of the monodisperse spherical silica microspheres by one-pot method. The hybridization of Ui O-66 and silica microspheres(termed UiO-66@SiO2 shell–core composite) was prepared by stirring the suspension of the precursors of Ui O-66 and\\COOH terminated silica in the N,N-dimethylformamide with heating. The shell–core composite material UiO66@SiO2 was characterized by SEM, TEM, PXRD and FTIR. Then, it was used as a packing material for the chromatographic separation of xylene isomers. Xylene isomers including o-xylene, m-xylene and p-xylene were efficiently separated on the column with high resolution and good reproducibility. Moreover, the Ui O-66@SiO2 shell–core composites packed column still remained reverse shape selectivity as Ui O-66 possessed, and the retention of xylenes was probably ascribed to the hydrophobic effect between analytes and the aromatic rings of the Ui O-66 shell. The Ui O-66@SiO2 shell–core composites obtained in this study have some potential for the separation of structural isomers in HPLC.

Metal–Organic Framework-Assisted Synthesis of Compact Fe_2O_3 Nanotubes in Co_3O_4 Host with Enhanced Lithium Storage Properties

Transition metal oxides are promising candidates for the high-capacity anode material in lithium-ion batteries.The electrochemical performance of transition metal oxides can be improved by constructing suitable composite architectures. Herein, we demonstrate a metal–organic framework(MOF)-assisted strategy for the synthesis of a hierarchical hybrid nanostructure composed of Fe_2O_3 nanotubes assembled in Co_3O_4 host. Starting from MOF composite precursors(Fe-based MOF encapsulated in a Cobased host matrix), a complex structure of Co_3O_4 host and engulfed Fe_2O_3 nanotubes was prepared by a simple annealing treatment in air. By virtue of their structural and compositional features, these hierarchical composite particles reveal enhanced lithium storage properties when employed as anodes for lithium-ion batteries.

Ultrathin 2D Metal–Organic Framework Nanosheets In situ Interpenetrated by Functional CNTs for Hybrid Energy Storage Device

The controllable construction of two-dimensional(2D)metal–organic framework(MOF)nanosheets with favorable electrochemical performances is greatly challenging for energy storage.Here,we design an in situ induced growth strategy to construct the ultrathin carboxylated carbon nanotubes(C-CNTs)interpenetrated nickel MOF(Ni-MOF/C-CNTs)nanosheets.The deliberate thickness and specific surface area of novel 2D hybrid nanosheets can be effectively tuned via finely controlling C-CNTs involvement.Due to the unique microstructure,the integrated 2D hybrid nanosheets are endowed with plentiful electroactive sites to promote the electrochemical performances greatly.The prepared Ni-MOF/C-CNTs nanosheets exhibit superior specific capacity of 680 C g^−1 at 1 A g^−1 and good capacity retention.The assembled hybrid device demonstrated the maximum energy density of 44.4 Wh kg^−1 at a power density of 440 W kg^−1.Our novel strategy to construct ultrathin 2D MOF with unique properties can be extended to synthesize various MOF-based functional materials for diverse applications.

Recent Progress on Metal–Organic Framework and Its Derivatives as Novel Fire Retardants to Polymeric Materials

High flammability of polymers has become a major issue which has restricted its applications.Recently,highly crystalline materials and metal–organic frameworks(MOFs),which consisted of metal ions and organic linkers,have been intensively employed as novel fire retardants(FRs)for a variety of polymers(MOF/polymer).The MOFs possessed abundant transition metal species,fire-retardant elements and potential carbon source accompanied with the facile tuning of the structure and property,making MOF,its derivatives and MOF hybrids promising for fire retardancy research.The recent progress and strategies to prepare MOF-based FRs are emphasized and summarized.The fire retardancy mechanisms of MOF/polymer composites are explained,which may guide the future design for efficient MOF-based FRs.Finally,the challenges and prospects related to different MOFbased FRs are also discussed and aim to provide a fast and holistic overview,which is beneficial for researchers to quickly get up to speed with the latest development in this field.

Reversed ethane/ethylene adsorption in a metal–organic framework via introduction of oxygen

Separation of ethane from ethylene is a very important but challenging process in the petrochemical industry.Finding an alternative method would reduce the energy needed to make 170 million tons of ethylene manufactured worldwide each year.Adsorptive separation using C2H6-selective porous materials to directly produce high-purity C2H4 is more energy-efficient.We herein report the"reversed C2H6/C2H4 adsorption"in a metal–organic framework Cr-BTC via the introduction of oxygen on its open metal sites.The oxidized Cr-BTC(O2)can bind C2H6 over C2H4 through the active Cr-superoxo sites,which was elucidated by the gas sorption isotherms and density functional theory calculations.This material thus exhibits a good performance for the separation of 50/50 C2H6/C2H4 mixtures to produce 99.99%pure C2H4 in a single separation operation.

Tuning Atomically Dispersed Fe Sites in Metal–Organic Frameworks Boosts Peroxidase‑Like Activity for Sensitive Biosensing

Although nanozymes have been widely developed,accurate design of highly active sites at the atomic level to mimic the electronic and geometrical structure of enzymes and the exploration of underlying mechanisms still face significant challenges.Herein,two functional groups with opposite electron modulation abilities(nitro and amino)were introduced into the metal–organic frameworks(MIL-101(Fe))to tune the atomically dispersed metal sites and thus regulate the enzymelike activity.Notably,the functionalization of nitro can enhance the peroxidase(POD)-like activity of MIL-101(Fe),while the amino is poles apart.Theoretical calculations demonstrate that the introduction of nitro can not only regulate the geometry of adsorbed intermediates but also improve the electronic structure of metal active sites.Benefiting from both geometric and electronic effects,the nitro-functionalized MIL-101(Fe)with a low reaction energy barrier for the HO*formation exhibits a superior POD-like activity.As a concept of the application,a nitro-functionalized MIL-101(Fe)-based biosensor was elaborately applied for the sensitive detection of acetylcholinesterase activity in the range of 0.2–50 mU mL−1 with a limit of detection of 0.14 mU mL−1.Moreover,the detection of organophosphorus pesticides was also achieved.This work not only opens up new prospects for the rational design of highly active nanozymes at the atomic scale but also enhances the performance of nanozyme-based biosensors.