Recent advances in MOF-5-based photocatalysts for efficient degradation of toxic organic dyes in aqueous medium

Rapidly increasing industrial activities and uncontrolled wastewater disposal in the different dye sectors, such as textiles, plastic, leather, cosmetics, and food industries, have severely threatened the environment and human health in recent years. Photocatalysis has emerged as an attractive ecofriendly and cost-efficient technology for environmental remediation and the development of stable and efficient photocatalysts is highly crucial. Recently, Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted attention as a prominent class of porous materials with robust topology and excellent potential in photocatalytic water remediation applications. Numerous literatures have reviewed the photocatalytic activity of MOF-based materials for environmental and energy applications. However, only a few articles focus on the pioneering role of MOF-5, a Zn-based MOF in growing contemporary applications. Moreover, a review focused primarily on MOF-5 photocatalysts – their synthesis, application, and detailed mechanism studies for the removal of toxic organic pollutants from an aqueous medium has not been made. In this review, we summarized the recent advances in MOF-5-based photocatalysts and their application in the photocatalytic of dye pollutants from an aqueous medium. The fundamental structure and principle of MOF-5 as a photocatalytic material have been discussed. The various synthesis methods employed for the preparation of MOF-5-based photocatalysts have been discussed. This article compiles and reviews the recent advancements in utilizing MO-5-based materials for the photodegradation of dyes from water. The detailed analysis of the literature revealed that the MOF-5 photocatalysts demonstrate excellent photocatalytic performance toward the elimination of organic dye pollutants such as methylene blue, rhodamine B, congo red, and methyl orange from an aqueous medium. Furthermore, an overview of the general mechanism and pathways observed in the photodegradation of dyes using MOF-5 has also been provided. Finally, the review provides insight into the challenges and solutions in the utilization of MOF-5 as a potential photocatalyst and provides a future perspective to design and develop advanced, cost-effective, stable, and efficient MOF-5 photocatalysts for water remediation.