Recent Advances in Metal-Organic Framework (MOF)-Based Photocatalysts: Design Strategies and Applications in Heavy Metal Control
Qiang Ma,
Yunling Li,
Yawen Tan,
Bowen Xu,
Jun Cai,
Yingjie Zhang,
Qingyuan Wang,
Qihong Wu,
Bowen Yang,
Jin Huang
Affiliations
Qiang Ma
Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Source Protection in Chengdu Basin of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center of City Solid Waste Energy and Building Materials Conversion & Utilization Technology, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
Yunling Li
Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Source Protection in Chengdu Basin of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center of City Solid Waste Energy and Building Materials Conversion & Utilization Technology, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
Yawen Tan
Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Source Protection in Chengdu Basin of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center of City Solid Waste Energy and Building Materials Conversion & Utilization Technology, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
Bowen Xu
Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
Jun Cai
National Joint Engineering Research Center of Energy Saving and Environmental Protection Technology in Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering Industry, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China
Yingjie Zhang
College of Agriculture and Biological Science, Dali University, Dali 671000, China
Qingyuan Wang
Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Source Protection in Chengdu Basin of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center of City Solid Waste Energy and Building Materials Conversion & Utilization Technology, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
Qihong Wu
Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Source Protection in Chengdu Basin of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center of City Solid Waste Energy and Building Materials Conversion & Utilization Technology, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
Bowen Yang
Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Source Protection in Chengdu Basin of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center of City Solid Waste Energy and Building Materials Conversion & Utilization Technology, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
Jin Huang
Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Source Protection in Chengdu Basin of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center of City Solid Waste Energy and Building Materials Conversion & Utilization Technology, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
The heavy metal contamination of water systems has become a major environmental concern worldwide. Photocatalysis using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has emerged as a promising approach for heavy metal remediation, owing to the ability of MOFs to fully degrade contaminants through redox reactions that are driven by photogenerated charge carriers. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of recent developments in MOF-based photocatalysts for removing and decontaminating heavy metals from water. The tunable nature of MOFs allows the rational design of composition and features to enhance light harvesting, charge separation, pollutant absorptivity, and photocatalytic activities. Key strategies employed include metal coordination tuning, organic ligand functionalization, heteroatom doping, plasmonic nanoparticle incorporation, defect engineering, and morphology control. The mechanisms involved in the interactions between MOF photocatalysts and heavy metal contaminants are discussed, including light absorption, charge carrier separation, metal ion adsorption, and photocatalytic redox reactions. The review highlights diverse applications of MOF photocatalysts in treating heavy metals such as lead, mercury, chromium, cadmium, silver, arsenic, nickel, etc. in water remediation. Kinetic modeling provides vital insights into the complex interplay between coupled processes such as adsorption and photocatalytic degradation that influence treatment efficiency. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is also crucial for evaluating the sustainability of MOF-based technologies. By elucidating the latest advances, current challenges, and future opportunities, this review provides insights into the potential of MOF-based photocatalysts as a sustainable technology for addressing the critical issue of heavy metal pollution in water systems. Ongoing efforts are needed to address the issues of stability, recyclability, scalable synthesis, and practical reactor engineering.
