Recent Progress on Layered Double Hydroxides for Electrocatalytic Small Molecules Oxidation to Synthesize High-Value Chemicals and Degrade Pollutants

Review Recent Progress on Layered Double Hydroxides for Electrocatalytic Small Molecules Oxidation to Synthesize High-Value Chemicals and Degrade Pollutants Zi-Qi Ge 1 Chao Chu 2 Cong Wang 3 Ruchun Li 4,* Jingwei Li 2,* San Ping Jiang 2,* 1 Jilin Joint Technology Innovation Laboratory of Developing and Utilizing Materials of Reducing Pollution and Carbon Emissions, College of Engineering, Jilin Normal University, Siping 136000, China 2 National Energy Key Laboratory for New Hydrogen-Ammonia Energy Technologies, Foshan Xianhu Laboratory, Foshan 528216, China 3 Bingtuan Energy Development Institute, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China 4 Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China * Correspondence: S.Jiang@curtin.edu.au (S. P. J.); lijingwei@xhlab.cn (J. L.); liruchun@ynnu.edu.cn (R. L.) Received: 25 October 2025; Revised: 12 November 2024; Accepted: 6 December 2024; Published: 10 December 2024 Abstract: Researchers worldwide are developing innovative luminescent systems with exceptional features like high sensitivity. Luminescent frameworks based on aggregation-induced emission (AIE) have emerged as promising candidates for various applications. Over the past decade, porous materials like metal-organic cages (MOCs) incorporating AIE luminogens (AIEgens) have demonstrated exceptional performance. Chirality plays a significant role in specific non-racemic luminescent systems, particularly circularly polarized luminescence (CPL). Chiral organic materials coordinated with metals, including MOCs, have gained importance as they combine organic ligands and coordination-bonded metal centers, enabling the design of novel structures with CPL. These materials have shown exciting potential applications in fields like CPL-OLED, chiral recognition, and sensing. This review article provides an overview of the recent progress in emissive porous materials, specifically MOCs, and their possible applications. Additionally, the review focuses on the recent progress in AIEgen-based cages, CPL-active cages, and non-AIEgen-based cages, their practical applications in sensing and enantioselectivity, and future prospects. Key challenges in AIE-based POCs and MOCs include limited stability, affecting their use in wide-surface thin films, and the need to understand molecular structure and topology impacts. Future efforts should enhance luminescence efficiency and explore applications in chiral sensing, supramolecular assemblies, bioimaging, and optoelectronics, driving innovation in smart materials.