Metal-organic frameworks for carbon-neutral catalysis: State of the art, challenges, and opportunities

To address environmental problems and growing energy demands, reducing CO2 emissions and developing sustainable clean energy are becoming increasingly crucial. In this context, carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are gaining significant attention as promising technologies for energy conversion utilizing renewable energy sources. However, developing advanced and highly efficient catalysts is essential to make these applications feasible. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a new class of porous crystalline materials, have shown great potential in designing such catalysts for CO2RR and HER. Their ordered and tailorable structures, ultrahigh surface areas, and well-defined active sites make them ideal for this purpose. This review discusses the current advances, remaining challenges and future opportunities of MOF-based catalysts in CO2RR and HER. First, the strategies for synthesizing and modifying MOF-based catalysts are overviewed, including pristine MOFs, MOF composites and MOF derivatives. Then, the advanced characterization techniques are showcased to provide reaction mechanism insights. Moreover, the recent advances of MOF-based catalysts in both CO2RR and HER are compiled in detail, highlighting the structure–activity relationship of MOF materials. Finally, the challenges and outlooks of MOF-based catalysts for CO2RR and HER are described. This review provides a systemic and in-depth insight into MOF-based catalyst for CO2RR and HER, hoping that this timely and comprehensive review can shed light on the upcoming research horizons of these prosperous areas.