The Application of Metal-Organic Frameworks in the Adsorptive Removal of Harmful Species from Aqueous Solutions

Removing harmful species from water is essential for the protection of the environment and human health. Among various treatment techniques, adsorption is particularly attractive because of its advantages of easy operation, high removal efficiency, environmental friendliness and simple regeneration of the adsorbent. As the key factor of this technique, the choice of adsorbent is vital. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been widely used as adsorbents to remove dyes, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), and metal ions from aqueous solutions because of their high porosity, structural diversity, and highly tunable pore shape/size and surface functionality. This work systematically reviews the recent progress on applying different types of MOFs, e.g., ZIF, MIL, and UiO series, in the field of adsorption of these harmful species. Modification of novel MOF materials can greatly improve their adsorption performance. This review provides a direction for the rational design of MOF adsorbents to effectively remove various pollutants from water.