Metal–organic frameworks for photocatalysis

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of crystalline micro/mesoporous hybrid materials composed of metal ions or metal clusters interconnected by organic linkers. MOFs are recently emerging as a new type of photoactive materials for different photocatalytic applications due to their unique structural characteristics. In this chapter, the fundamentals of MOFs for photocatalysis and the photoexcitation pathways over MOF-based photocatalysts are briefly introduced. Examples of using MOFs for different photocatalytic reactions, including photocatalytic water reduction/oxidation, CO2 reduction, environmental remediation, and organic transformations, are summarized. Strategies for designing and developing MOFs as efficient photocatalysts and for expanding their photocatalytic applications are also demonstrated. Finally, the limitations, challenges, and the future perspective of the application of MOFs for photocatalysis are addressed. The objective of this chapter is to encourage more future efforts to be devoted to design and development of new efficient MOFs with wide applications in photocatalysis.