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Inorganics
Special Issues
Crystalline Porous Materials for Environment and Sensing
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Crystalline Porous Materials for Environment and Sensing

A special issue of Inorganics (ISSN 2304-6740). This special issue belongs to the section "Inorganic Solid-State Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2025) | Viewed by 8915

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Raquel Gavara

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Interests: fluorescent sensors; photoactive materials; new porous materials for the purification of added-value substances; covalent organic frameworks
Dr. Carmen Montoro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Inorganic Chemistry Department, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Interests: metal/covalent organic frameworks; capture and degradation of pollutants; water remediation; processing of porous materials for practical applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Crystalline porous materials such as zeolites, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) exhibit outstanding properties that make them greatly appealing in a wide range of applications including gas and energy storage, catalysis, sensing and purification among others.

In the current context of globalization, increase in industrial activity and climate change, the development of efficient systems for the detection and removal of contaminants in water, atmosphere and soil has become an imperative necessity. Crystalline porous materials are ideal candidates for this purpose due to their high specific surface area, pore size modulation and versatile chemical functionalization.

This Special Issue is aimed to highlight novel applications of crystalline porous materials in the sensing and/or capture of pollutants arising from human activity and industrial production, such as heavy metals, toxic inorganic anions and persistent organic pollutants, among others. This will also render opportunities to explore new strategies and promote collaborations among researchers in the field.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following: Inorganic Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Materials Chemistry.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Raquel Gavara
Dr. Carmen Montoro
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. Inorganics 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

  • crystalline porous materials
  • zeolites
  • MOFs
  • COFs
  • metal organic cages
  • mesoporous silica
  • pollutants
  • environmental remediation
  • sensing

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 8036 KB  
Article
Assessing Ammonium and Orthophosphate Ion Adsorption from Eutrophic Freshwaters with the Application of Iron-Modified Zeolites
by Irene Biliani and Ierotheos Zacharias
Inorganics 2026, 14(2), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics14020050 - 9 Feb 2026
Viewed by 648
Abstract
Eutrophic inland and coastal waters, created due to excessive concentrations of nutrients, cause harmful algal blooms and decreased water quality. Chemical adsorption of ammonium and orthophosphate ions with clay-based materials is an effective method for reducing nutrient pollution. This study assesses the adsorption [...] Read more.
Eutrophic inland and coastal waters, created due to excessive concentrations of nutrients, cause harmful algal blooms and decreased water quality. Chemical adsorption of ammonium and orthophosphate ions with clay-based materials is an effective method for reducing nutrient pollution. This study assesses the adsorption of ammonium and orthophosphate ions using different iron-modified zeolites. Chemical composition analysis, in parallel with the kinetic efficiency results for ammonium and orthophosphate ion adsorption, indicates that the incorporation of iron-modified zeolites enables these ions to be adsorbed due to their increased surface area and improved ion exchange properties. Additionally, the Langmuir isotherm effectively captures the adsorption characteristics of iron-modified zeolites for ammonium and orthophosphate ions. This study proposes an ecological restoration approach, along with a sustainable water treatment solution, emphasizing the efficacy of iron-modified zeolites in environmental management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crystalline Porous Materials for Environment and Sensing)
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14 pages, 3029 KB  
Article
Efficient Sequestration of Heavy Metal Cations by [Mo2S12]2− Intercalated Cobalt Aluminum-Layered Double Hydroxide
by Subrata Chandra Roy, Carrie L. Donley and Saiful M. Islam
Inorganics 2025, 13(2), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics13020050 - 10 Feb 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1615
Abstract
Heavy metal cations such as Ag+, Pb2+, and Hg2+ can accumulate in living organisms, posing severe risks to biological systems, including humans. Therefore, removing heavy metal cations from wastewater is crucial before discharging them to the environment. However, [...] Read more.
Heavy metal cations such as Ag+, Pb2+, and Hg2+ can accumulate in living organisms, posing severe risks to biological systems, including humans. Therefore, removing heavy metal cations from wastewater is crucial before discharging them to the environment. However, trace levels and high-capacity removal of the heavy metals remain a critical challenge. This work demonstrates the synthesis and characterization of [Mo2S12]2− intercalated cobalt aluminum-layered double hydroxide, CoAl―Mo2S12―LDH (CoAl―Mo2S12), and its remarkable sorption properties for heavy metals. This material shows high efficiency for removing over 99.9% of Ag+, Cu2+, Hg2+, and Pb2+ from 10 ppm aqueous solutions with a distribution constant, Kd, as high as 107 mL/g. The selectivity order for removing these ions, determined from the mixed ion state experiment, was Pb2+ < Cu2+ ≪ Hg2+ < Ag+. This study also suggests that CoAl―Mo2S12 is not selective for Ni2+, Cd2+, and Zn2+ cations. CoAl―Mo2S12 is an efficient sorbent for Ag+, Cu2+, Hg2+, and Pb2+ ions at pH~12, with the removal performance of both Ag+ and Hg2+ cations retaining > 99.7% across the pH range of ~2 to 12. Our study also shows that the CoAl―Mo2S12 is a highly competent silver cation adsorbent exhibiting removal capacity (qm) as high as ~918 mg/g compared with the reported data. A detailed mechanistic analysis of the post-treated solid samples with Ag+, Hg2+, and Pb2+ reveals the formation of Ag2S, HgS, and PbMoO4, respectively, suggesting the precipitation reaction mechanism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crystalline Porous Materials for Environment and Sensing)
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Review

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39 pages, 4202 KB  
Review
Covalent Organic Frameworks for the Capture and Photoluminescent Sensing of Pharmaceutical Pollutants in Aqueous Media
by Johana Herrero, Carmen Montoro, Raquel Gavara and Félix Zamora
Inorganics 2026, 14(5), 124; https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics14050124 - 30 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1242
Abstract
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as promising materials for the capture and photoluminescent detection of pharmaceutical contaminants in aquatic environments due to their tunable porosity, high surface area, and structural versatility. This review summarizes recent advances in pristine COFs and COF-based hybrid [...] Read more.
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as promising materials for the capture and photoluminescent detection of pharmaceutical contaminants in aquatic environments due to their tunable porosity, high surface area, and structural versatility. This review summarizes recent advances in pristine COFs and COF-based hybrid materials for water treatment, focusing on both the adsorption and photoluminescent sensing of pharmaceutical pollutants. The influence of framework design, linkage type, and functionalization on adsorption performance and selectivity is discussed, together with the main interaction mechanisms involved. In addition, recent developments in photoluminescent COFs for sensitive and rapid drug detection are highlighted. Attention is given to dual-function materials capable of simultaneous capture and detection, which represent an emerging strategy for efficient water remediation. Finally, current challenges related to stability, selectivity, and real-world applicability are outlined, providing perspectives for the design of next-generation COF-based systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crystalline Porous Materials for Environment and Sensing)
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26 pages, 7173 KB  
Review
Recent Developments in the Use of Covalent Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Water Decontamination
by Víctor Cepa-López, Miguel Sánchez-Fuente, Alicia Moya and Rubén Mas-Ballesté
Inorganics 2025, 13(5), 152; https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics13050152 - 6 May 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4033
Abstract
Water pollution by persistent organic and inorganic contaminants constitutes a significant problem for ecosystems and public health. Organic substances such as dyes, pharmaceutical residues, pesticides, and phenolic compounds are increasingly detected in water due to industrial and agricultural activities. Alongside these, toxic heavy [...] Read more.
Water pollution by persistent organic and inorganic contaminants constitutes a significant problem for ecosystems and public health. Organic substances such as dyes, pharmaceutical residues, pesticides, and phenolic compounds are increasingly detected in water due to industrial and agricultural activities. Alongside these, toxic heavy metals contribute to the complexity of water treatment challenges. Conventional remediation methods often fall short due to high operational costs or limited efficiency. In this context, photocatalysis has emerged as a promising approach for pollutant degradation in water under light irradiation. In this sense, covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a class of porous, crystalline materials formed by the covalent linkage of organic units, offer great advantages as photocatalysts. Their tunable electronic properties, structural diversity, and high stability under aqueous conditions make them ideal for visible light-driven processes. This review explores the structural features that govern the photocatalytic activity of COFs, including conjugation, bandgap modulation, and donor–acceptor structures. Mechanistic insights into photocatalytic degradation are also discussed. Finally, examples of pre-designed COFs are presented with their application in the photodegradation of water pollutants, and their main reactive oxygen species (ROS) involved in the photodegradation mechanism. Overall, this review aims to provide a foundation for the rational design of COFs in advanced water treatment technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crystalline Porous Materials for Environment and Sensing)
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