Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for photoreduction of CO2

Abstract

In recent decades, human industrialisation has become increasingly advanced, and the quality of life has also improved. Subsequently, the excessive consumption of fossil fuels has caused a series of problems, for example, global environmental warming caused by excessive CO2 emissions. Among numerous CO2 reduction technologies, using solar energy as an energy source for the CO2 photoreduction is considered one of the most prospective technologies. This method not only reduces the amount of CO2, but also enables to converse CO2 into other valuable chemicals, thereby achieving carbon cycling. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are composed of metal ions and organic ligands as three-dimensional porous materials. MOFs have many advantages, including sizeable specific surface area, excellent CO2 absorption capacity and modifiable pore structure, leading to broad application potential in photocatalytic reduction of CO2. This article mainly introduces three aspects: functionalisation and modification of pure MOFs, MOF-based composite materials, and MOF-derived materials, which further improve the CO2 photocatalytic efficiency of MOFs. Furthermore, it includes the analysis of reported examples, discussion and outlook on reaction mechanisms and challenges. At present, the main difficulties faced by MOFs-based photocatalysts lie in their economic feasibility and poor material stability. Therefore, this review aims to help stimulate in-depth research in this area as well as better exert the advantages of MOFs.