Recent advances in hydrogen production using metal organic frameworks and their composites

Abstract

Burning of fossil fuels is the major contributor of carbon dioxide emission in the environment. This discharge of carbon dioxide has resulted in global warming, climate change and other adverse effects on people. Hydrogen production is one such promising and clean technology that could help to establish a sustainable and decarbonized sector, mitigating the adverse effects of carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels. This eco-friendly technology has certain advantages over fossil fuels being water as abundant source, to produce water after hydrogen combustion again. Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) hold potential candidate for hydrogen production owing to high surface area and highly porous nature. MOFs are highly stable with diversified structure and intrinsic photoactivity due to which they can also behave as semiconductor catalysts to carry out water photolysis to generate hydrogen. However, Most of the MOFs are synthesized through the strategies which require toxic metals, solvents like DMF, harsh reaction conditions and longer reaction time. Advancements are going on in the current field but still there are issues like cost, dependability on petrochemicals for reactants and toxicity that needs to be resolved before thinking of commercialization. In this review, we addressed these issues and key challenges in hydrogen production. We have also focused different methods opted for hydrogen production to achieve maximum positive impact on the environment. Continued investment, innovation, and collaboration across global scale are crucial to unlock the full potential of hydrogen as a clean energy solution.