Carbon dots@MOF composites: Synthetic strategies, luminescence regulation, and emerging applications

Carbon dots (CDs) have attracted considerable attention due to their tunable luminescence, good biocompatibility, and environmental friendliness; however, they still suffer from limitations in solid-state stability and functional integration. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), characterized by highly ordered porous structures and designable metal nodes and organic ligands, provide an ideal platform for the construction of multifunctional composite materials. Integrating CDs with MOFs to form CDs@MOFs composites not only effectively suppresses aggregation-induced quenching of CDs through the rigid confinement effect of MOFs, but also enables precise regulation of the optical, chemical, and biological behaviors of CDs via interfacial coupling and structural engineering. This review systematically summarizes the main construction strategies of CDs@MOFs composites, with particular emphasis on the structural features and applicable scenarios of covalent and noncovalent coupling modes. On this basis, the mechanisms by which MOFs modulate the luminescent behavior of CDs, as well as the latest advances in their applications in sensing, lighting and display, food preservation, and biomedical therapy, are further discussed, highlighting the unique advantages of CDs@MOFs systems in multifunctional integration, structural tunability, and device-oriented applications. Finally, the current challenges faced by CDs@MOFs materials and their potential application prospects are proposed. We hope that this review will inspire new design concepts and provide valuable guidance for the future development of this promising field.