Adsorptive removal of different pollutants using metal-organic framework adsorbents

Soil, air, and water pollutions remain the major worldwide challenges for both human and eco-environment society. Decontamination of pollutants such as organic and inorganic compounds from an ecosystem remains a bottleneck over the years. Among several methods for removing pollutants, adsorption stands unique and usually simple and efficient. However, the versatility of the adsorption technique largely determines by the materials' sorption capacities which depend on the porous structures and surface property of the adsorbent. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a novel class of carbonaceous nanomaterials" having larger specific surface areas and their oxides have unique functional groups required for good adsorption processes. The applications of MOFs remain the focus of many kinds of researches in the last few years for effective removal of different contaminations from the soil, air, and water. This review presents some advancements in the usages of these novel MOFs for the adsorptive removal of different contaminants from the ecosystems. The study also highlighted some promising MOF adsorbents used for the effective removal of different pollutants including heavy metals, CO2, chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs), dyes, pesticides, food additives, veterinary, pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCP), antibiotics, biological and chemical weapons, other industrial chemicals, etc. Still, the discovery of the actual feasibility and applicability of the MOFs usages as adsorbents on the commercial scales are highly needed. The reusability of these adsorbents is continuously desirable to reduce the cost and associated wastes produced from the pollutant removal processes. For more effective and practical applicability of MOFs, some frequent and unnoticed factors were also proposed as the challenges and prospects to foster the remarkable improvements in combating different pollutants. We further established that despite the existence of hitches and challenges associated with the use of MOFs, these materials are undeniably advantageous for decontaminating pollutants from wastewater, and upon sustaining efforts, their practical applications for water purification, separation, and other adsorption purposes will shortly be evident. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.