Metal-Organic Framework Based Polymer Fibers: Review on Synthesis and Applications

A composite material with improved characteristics can be produced by combining metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with polymer fibers. In contrast to commonly used powdered MOFs, polymer fibers can offer flexible support for MOFs, and some of the fibers can even work in concert with MOFs. The molecular transport channels are significantly enlarged when polymer fibers are employed as the base material for composites rather than conventional polymer films and mixed matrix films. This makes it simpler for the molecules to bind to the active site, speeding up the reaction. First, a brief analysis of the binding of MOFs to fibers is provided, followed by a systematic summary of the MOF forming process, including the synthesis and modification of MOFs, which lays the foundation for the subsequent summary of the synthesis methods of MOFs-fiber composites. In this article, three strategies are presented for attaching MOFs to polymer fibers: cospinning MOFs with fibers, depositing MOFs on fiber surfaces, and in situ growing MOFs on fiber surfaces. Different binding techniques make MOFs-fiber composites promising for many applications. Finally, the improvement of MOFs-fiber composites and their possible application scope are discussed.