Current developments on MIL-based metal-organic frameworks for photocatalytic hydrogen production

Abstract

The escalating global energy demand has intensified research into sustainable hydrogen production, particularly through water splitting. A highly promising avenue involves photocatalytic water splitting, which leverages readily available earth-abundant materials to generate clean hydrogen from water using only renewable energy sources. Among the various catalytic materials investigated, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have recently attracted considerable interest. Their tunable porosity, high crystallinity, as well as the customisable molecular structures position them as a transformative class of catalysts for efficient and sustainable photocatalytic hydrogen generation. This review examines MOFs, detailing their structural characteristics, unique properties, and diverse synthetic routes. The discussion extends to the various composite materials that can be derived from MOFs, with particular emphasis on their application in photocatalytic hydrogen production via water splitting. Furthermore, the review identifies current challenges hindering MOF implementation and proposes modification strategies to overcome these limitations. The concluding section summarises the presented information and future perspectives on the continued development of MOF composites for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production from water.