Nanoscale designing of metal organic framework moieties as efficient tools for environmental decontamination

Environmental pollutants, being a major and detrimental component of the ecological imbalance, need to be controlled. Serious health issues can get intensified due to contaminants present in the air, water, and soil. Accurate and rapid monitoring of environmental pollutants is imperative for the detoxification of the environment and hence living beings. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous and highly diverse adsorbent materials with tunable surface area and diverse functionality. Similarly, the conversion of MOFs into nanoscale regime leads to the formation of nanometal-organic frameworks (NMOFs) with increased selectivity, sensitivity, detection ability, and portability. The present review majorly focuses on a variety of synthetic methods including the ex situ and in situ synthesis of MOF nanocomposites and direct synthesis of NMOFs. Furthermore, a variety of applications such as nanoabsorbent, nanocatalysts, and nanosensors for different dyes, antibiotics, toxic ions, gases, pesticides, etc., are described along with illustrations. An initiative is depicted hereby using nanostructures of MOFs to decontaminate hazardous environmental toxicants.

Automated summary

Environmental pollutants pose a significant threat to ecological balance and human health, necessitating their control. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous and highly diverse materials that can be used to adsorb pollutants and detoxify the environment. Nanoscale MOFs (NMOFs) have even greater capabilities in terms of selectivity, sensitivity, detection ability, and portability. This review focuses on the synthesis of MOF nanocomposites and NMOFs, as well as their applications as nanoabsorbents, nanocatalysts, and nanosensors for various pollutants.