UiO-67: A versatile metal-organic framework for diverse applications

Abstract

UiO-67 species, a prominent class of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) within the UiO (University of Oslo) subgroup, possess unique features. These include diverse synthetic methods, a wide variety of structures, host-guest chemistry, large and uniform pores, tunable surfaces, and flexible network topology, geometry, dimension, and chemical functionality. Due to these features, UiO-67 demonstrates remarkable potential applications in various scientific and life science fields. Literature surveys show that UiO-67 exhibits competitive and promising applications compared to other MOFs and even its close relatives, UiO-66 and UiO-68. Despite the rich chemistry and rapidly growing research on UiO-67, particularly in recent years, a comprehensive review of its applications is lacking. This review aims to fill this gap by providing the first systematic and complete classification of Zr-based UiO-67 MOF applications, synthetic methods, design and structures since 2008. The contents are categorized into key areas: design and synthesize, structural landscape, applications including, catalysis, adsorption, separation, sensing, medicine/drug delivery, and energy storage/conversion. Each category is further subdivided for specific applications. While the primary focus is on applications, the review also incorporates discussions on synthetic pathways and comparative studies. Finally, future perspectives for Zr-UiO-67 applications are explored, aiming to contribute to their wider use in multidisciplinary chemistry. Future research should focus on expanding the application of Zr-UiO-67 MOFs in diverse fields. This includes further exploration of their potential in CO₂ capture and conversion, organic transformations, and CC bond formation catalysis. Additionally, the development of UiO-67-based materials for water treatment, environmental remediation, biosensing, drug delivery, and energy storage will be crucial.