Green synthesis of metal-organic frameworks and its applications

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is a type of porous materials formed by the self-assembly of metal centers and organic linkers. They exhibit significant application potential in gas storage, catalysis, sensing, drug delivery and so on. However, the conventional synthesis methods of MOFs are highly energy-consumption (requiring high temperature and pressure, ultrasound, or microwave) and highly polluting (involving organic solvents or generating toxic byproducts). This not only imposes an environmental burden but also hinders the large-scale production of MOFs, severely limiting their practical application. In recent years, driven by the demand for cleaner production and sustainable development in MOFs applications under national policies and the market economy, the development of green synthesis strategies for MOFs characterized by low energy consumption and pollution-free processes has gained increasing attention. Building on this, this review focuses on the green synthesis methods of MOFs. It proposes synthesis strategies based on approaches like low-temperature synthesis and solvent substitution, summarizes the development of green synthesis methods for MOFs with different metal, and discusses the application advantages of green-synthesized MOFs in fields such as gas adsorption, drug delivery, and catalysis. Finally, it outlooks future development directions for green-synthesized MOFs, aiming to provide theoretical references and innovative insights for the sustainable development and commercial application of MOFs.