Photocatalytic degradation of hazardous organic pollutants in water by Fe-MOFs and their composites: A review

Highly effective techniques for the removal of hazardous organic pollutants (HOPs) in water have attracted considerable research interests because of their significant impacts on nature environments and ecological systems. Previous studies have proved that the generation of active radicals in heterogeneous photocatalysis is an efficient method for the degradation of organic pollutants. Notably, attributed to superior semiconductor properties, controllable structures and numerous active sites of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), they have received a number of attentions in photocatalysis. Compared to other different types of MOFs, iron (Fe)-based MOFs (Fe-MOFs) have low toxicity, excellent optical properties and relatively high chemical and water stability, allowing them to have good performances for practical applications. In this review, we summarized the strategies including modification, doping, and calcination to improve photocatalytic activities of the Fe-MOFs with the condition of light illumination. We also discussed various photocatalytic conditions and mechanisms to achieve higher degradation efficiency. In addition, the pioneering studies of Fe-MOFs, like their composites and derived porous materials in this promising field, are also presented.