Applications of multifunctional zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks in analytical chemistry: Overview and perspectives

Advances in analytical chemistry are contingent upon development of material sciences. Environmental samples, with complex matrices and low target concentrations, warrant good analysis performances. Zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs) have robust skeletons, excellent stability, ultra-high specific surface area, elaborate pore structure, and well designability, possessing different functions for detection/sensing, sample pretreatment, and chromatographic stationary phase. Summarizing recent progress of Zr-MOFs in analytical chemistry can promote methodological development and further applications of Zr-MOFs. This review will comprehensively summarize research that has been conducted so far on the analytical applications of Zr-MOFs. Oriented to the requirement of materials applied for analysis, we will focus on applications of Zr-MOFs as pollutant sensors, extraction adsorbents, and chromatographic stationary phases. Knowledge gaps will be identified and future line of research on Zr-MOFs in analytical chemistry will be recommended. It is expected that research on evolving porous materials, especially for sample analysis, will benefit from this review. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.