Recent advance of macroscopic metal-organic frameworks for water treatment: A review

The ultra-high specific surface area and adjustable porosity of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have great application potential in removing contaminants in water. However, due to the powdery microcrystalline structure of MOFs, there were many problems in practical applications, such as blockage of pipes, secondary pollution, short service life, etc. Therefore, shaping the MOFs material of the microcrystalline structure into a macroscopic structure to overcome the above problems was an essential step in the application at the industrial level. In this review, the synthesis strategies of various forms macroscopic MOFs, such as beads, fibers, and aerogels, were systematically summarized. Since the process of macroscopic MOF for the practical wastewater treatment applications lags, we reviewed the removal efficiency, eliminate mechanism and possible influencing factors of macroscopic MOFs from four aspects (removal of oils and organic solvents; removal of dyes from contaminated waters; removal of heavy metal ions; Brackish water and seawater desalination). This study was intended to highlight some of the recent trends in industrial scale application of macroscopic MOFs materials.