Coordination bond regulation in metal–organic framework composites: From precise synthesis to advanced catalysis and emerging adsorption/purification applications

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as porous coordination polymers, exhibit remarkable structural diversity and complexity due to their unique porous architectures. The intricate coordination bonding relationships between metal nodes and organic linkers, coupled with synergistic interactions involving functional linkers, encapsulating matrices, and nanoparticles, endow MOFs composites with exceptional multifunctional capabilities, particularly in catalysis. This study comprehensively reviews the latest preparation methods for MOFs composites, encompassing solid-phase, liquid-phase, and gas-phase synthesis techniques, alongside structural tuning strategies to achieve spherical, rod-like, and sheet-like morphologies. A key focus is placed on the coordination bonds between organic linkers and metal centers, as well as the internal coordination dynamics within encapsulated MOFs composites, elucidating how these bonding mechanisms govern material performance. Through an in-depth analysis of landmark studies, we demonstrate that precise modulation of these chemical interactions significantly enhances catalytic activity, selectivity, stability, and electrochemical performance. Furthermore, by precisely tailoring coordination bonds, MOF composites have achieved remarkable performance in advanced adsorption and purification applications, including ultrahigh CO₂ capture capacity (>8 mmol·g −1 at 298 K and 1 bar in UTSA-16), efficient removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs, e.g., toluene uptake >600 mg·g −1 in MAF-X27-Co), and selective heavy-metal ion sequestration (e.g., Pb 2+ removal >99.9 % using thiol-functionalized MOFs), as well as pH-responsive drug release (e.g., ibuprofen loading >1.5 g·g −1 in bio-MOF-1). This review systematically summarizes how coordination bond modulation simultaneously drives breakthroughs in both catalysis and adsorption/purification fields.