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Advances in MOF/COF Catalysis: Tailored Structures for Enhanced Performance
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Advances in MOF/COF Catalysis: Tailored Structures for Enhanced Performance

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Catalytic Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 4138

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Parijat Borah

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138634, Singapore
Interests: materials; material characterization; heterogeneous catalysis; kinetics catalyst characterization; nanostructured materials; polymers; material characteristics; advanced materials; nanoparticles
Prof. Dr. Peizhou Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
Interests: metal-organic frameworks; covalent organic frameworks; CO2 fixation; proton conduction; photocatalysts; nanocatalysts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as highly tunable materials for catalysis, offering tailored porosity, functional diversity, and broad applicability in energy conversion, environmental remediation, and organic synthesis. Recent advancements continue to enhance their catalytic performance, stability, and scalability.

This Special Issue of Catalysts will highlight the latest developments in MOF-/COF-based catalysis. We invite submissions on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Synthesis and Structural Design: New strategies for tailoring MOF/COF structures, functionalization, and hybrid composites (e.g., with metals, oxides, nanoparticles, carbon, etc.), to improve catalytic efficacy and stability for large-scale applications;
  • Photocatalysis: MOF/COF catalysts for light-driven reactions such as water splitting, CO2 reduction, and organic transformations;
  • Electrocatalysis: Advances in MOF-/COF-based catalysts for HER, OER, and ORR with improved activity and durability;
  • Thermocatalysis: MOF/COF catalysts for selective oxidation, hydrogenation, and coupling reactions, along with mechanistic insights;
  • Environmental Applications: Catalysts for pollutant degradation, CO2 capture and conversion, and water purification;
  • Computational: Machine learning and simulations for MOF/COF catalyst design and mechanistic understanding;
  • Emerging Approaches: Exploration of MOF/COF catalysts in niche applications, flow synthesis, biocatalysis, and chiral catalysis.

If you would like to submit papers for publication in this Special Issue or have any questions, please contact the in-house Editor, Ms. Georgie Guan (georgie.guan@mdpi.com).

Dr. Parijat Borah
Prof. Dr. Peizhou Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Catalysts is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • MOF catalysts
  • COF catalysts
  • photocatalysis
  • electrocatalysis
  • thermocatalysis
  • hybrid materials
  • porous materials
  • framework materials
  • heterogeneous catalysts

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 5539 KB  
Article
Ni-MOF-74 Based on Nickel Extract Obtained from Spent Hydrodesulfurization Catalyst
by Ingrid Ramírez, Jessyka Padilla and Aída Luz Villa
Catalysts 2026, 16(3), 240; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16030240 - 4 Mar 2026
Viewed by 527
Abstract
During the refining processes, when catalyst activity falls below acceptable levels and it is not possible to regenerate it for its reuse, the catalyst is disposed of as solid waste; however, the spent catalysts could be a promising source of metals for manufacturing [...] Read more.
During the refining processes, when catalyst activity falls below acceptable levels and it is not possible to regenerate it for its reuse, the catalyst is disposed of as solid waste; however, the spent catalysts could be a promising source of metals for manufacturing new products due to their high content of heavy metals, such as nickel. In this research, nickel recovered from a spent hydrodesulfurization catalyst by ultrasonication-assisted leaching was used as a metal source for the synthesis of Ni-MOF-74 material (Ni-MOF-74E), and its properties and CO2 adsorption capture capacity were compared with a Ni-MOF-74 prepared with commercial salt nickel nitrate (Ni-MOF-74C). The MOF-74 structure was confirmed by analytical techniques such as FT-IR and powder X-ray diffraction. By SEM and EDX, the fusiform morphology and the elemental composition were found. The CO2 capture capacity, evaluated at 298 K, 288 K and 273 K, showed that the Ni-MOF-74E material presented an adsorption capacity higher than 2.2 mmol g−1 and a heat adsorption of 44 kJ mol−1. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MOF/COF Catalysis: Tailored Structures for Enhanced Performance)
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15 pages, 2482 KB  
Article
Enhancement of the Peroxidase Activity of Metal–Organic Framework with Different Clay Minerals for Detecting Aspartic Acid
by Chen Tian, Lang Zhang, Yali Yu, Ting Liu, Jianwu Chen, Jie Peng, Chu Dai and Jinhua Gan
Catalysts 2025, 15(12), 1172; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15121172 - 17 Dec 2025
Viewed by 707
Abstract
The strategic engineering of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) through integration with clay minerals offers a promising route to tailor their functional properties and expand their application scope. In this study, a series of clay-MOF composites was constructed by introducing MOFs onto the surfaces of [...] Read more.
The strategic engineering of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) through integration with clay minerals offers a promising route to tailor their functional properties and expand their application scope. In this study, a series of clay-MOF composites was constructed by introducing MOFs onto the surfaces of different clay minerals. By varying the type of clay mineral, the nature and strength of surface-active sites could be effectively modulated. Notably, the Kaolinite-based MOFs (Ka-MOF) composite exhibited superior sensitivity for the detection of aspartic acid (AA), outperforming other composite nanozymes using o-phenylenediamine (OPD) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as substrates, with a linear detection range of 0–37.56 μM and a low detection limit of 55.7 nM. The enhanced peroxidase-like activity is attributed to the substitution of silicon in the kaolinite structure by MOF components, which increases the density of Lewis acid–base sites. These sites facilitate H2O2 adsorption and promote its decomposition to generate singlet oxygen (1O2), thereby enhancing the catalytic oxidation process. Furthermore, the probe yielded satisfactory recoveries of aspartic acid (94.2% to 98.5%) in different real water samples through spiking recovery experiments. This work not only elucidates the influence of crystal surface engineering on the optical and catalytic properties of nanozymes but also provides a robust platform for tracing amino acids and studying their environmental chemical behaviors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MOF/COF Catalysis: Tailored Structures for Enhanced Performance)
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Review

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30 pages, 9174 KB  
Review
Rational Design and Advancement of Metal-Free Covalent Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Organic Transformation
by Hua-Qun Zhou, Dong-Ling Kuang, Jieying Hu, Lai-Hon Chung and Jun He
Catalysts 2026, 16(3), 228; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16030228 - 2 Mar 2026
Viewed by 432
Abstract
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) stand at the forefront of reticular chemistry, weaving crystalline porosity with unparalleled designability and functional tunability. Their expansive channels and modular architectures have driven rapid advances in photocatalytic organic transformations, providing a platform for sunlight-driven reactions with high selectivity [...] Read more.
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) stand at the forefront of reticular chemistry, weaving crystalline porosity with unparalleled designability and functional tunability. Their expansive channels and modular architectures have driven rapid advances in photocatalytic organic transformations, providing a platform for sunlight-driven reactions with high selectivity and sustainability. This review spotlights the rational engineering of metal-free COFs—from pore-size orchestration to chromophore integration—as versatile platforms for selective C–H activation, cross-coupling, and beyond. We survey landmark advances since 2016, dissecting the structure–activity relationships that drive efficiency under visible light, while unveiling challenges such as charge recombination and scalability issues. By establishing in-depth correlations between the structure of metal-free COFs and their photocatalytic performance, this work offers new opportunities to forge ahead in synthetic chemistry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MOF/COF Catalysis: Tailored Structures for Enhanced Performance)
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16 pages, 1177 KB  
Review
Catalytic Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide to Methanol on MOF-Confined Metal Nanoparticles: A Review
by Zechen Ye, Wenxuan Xie and Hongyan Chen
Catalysts 2025, 15(9), 913; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15090913 - 22 Sep 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2140
Abstract
High energy demand due to boosted economic growth has led to heavy consumption of fossil fuels, thus causing massive emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air. A promising solution to reduce carbon emissions is to convert CO2 into methanol [...] Read more.
High energy demand due to boosted economic growth has led to heavy consumption of fossil fuels, thus causing massive emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air. A promising solution to reduce carbon emissions is to convert CO2 into methanol (CH3OH), which requires high-performance catalysts. Metal nanoparticles have been in the spotlight due to their under-coordinated active sites. Nonetheless, conventional catalytic substrates have emerged with a decline in catalytic performance due to agglomeration of MNPs. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been acknowledged as alternative platforms to preclude aggregation of MNPs by encapsulation. This review introduces conventional heterogeneous catalysts on CO2 hydrogenation to CH3OH as the first endeavor, then summarizes recent progress of MNPs@MOFs on the same reaction, and, finally, points out the problems that remain unsolved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MOF/COF Catalysis: Tailored Structures for Enhanced Performance)
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