Advanced Metal–Organic Framework-Based Semiconductors: Design, Photocatalysis, and Functional Applications
A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Porous Materials".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2026 | Viewed by 95
Editor
Interests: materials synthesis and characterization; gas sensing; metal extraction; photocatalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline porous materials formed through the self-assembly of metal ions or metal clusters with organic ligands via coordination bonds. By strategically selecting metal nodes and functionalizing organic linkers, MOFs can be synthesized with high specificity and selectivity under controlled conditions. Their structural and functional diversity can be further enhanced through flexible post-synthetic modification. Featuring tunable porous architectures and ultra-high specific surface areas, MOFs provide abundant active sites, which enable superior substrate adsorption–activation synergy in applications such as photocatalysis, sensing, gas storage, and wastewater treatment.
Despite these advantages, the photocatalytic performance of single-component MOFs is fundamentally limited by the rapid recombination of photogenerated charge carriers. Additionally, many MOFs exhibit wide band gaps, resulting in a limited optical response within the visible spectrum. In essence, they face an intrinsic compromise among three critical factors: visible-light harvesting, redox potential, and charge-separation efficiency.
This Special Issue aims to collect research papers, short communications, and review articles focused on novel synthesis routes, device design, fabrication techniques, advanced characterization, and modeling of various MOF-based semiconductors. The issue will provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art in this dynamic field.
Dr. Muhammad Ikram
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- metal–organic frameworks
- crystalline porous materials
- organic ligands
- tunable porous architectures
- ultra-high specific surface areas
- photocatalysis
- gas storage
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