Conductive metal and covalent organic frameworks for electrocatalysis: design principles, recent progress and...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Metal and covalent organic frameworks (MOFs/COFs) show promise as catalysts due to porosity, defined active sites, and structural diversity.
• Poor electrical conductivity in traditional MOFs/COFs limits their effectiveness as electrocatalysts.
• Developing conductive MOFs/COFs is crucial for advancing electrochemical reactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the principles behind designing conductive MOFs/COFs for electrocatalysis.
• To review recent advancements in conductive MOFs/COFs for key electrochemical reactions.
• To propose future directions and address challenges in this field.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of charge transfer mechanisms ('through space', 'extended conjugation', 'through bond') in conductive MOFs/COFs.
• Review of literature on conductive MOFs/COFs applied in electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction (CO2RR), water splitting, and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).

Main Results:

• Established design principles for enhancing electrical conductivity in MOFs/COFs.
• Summarized recent progress in utilizing conductive MOFs/COFs for CO2RR, water splitting, and ORR.
• Identified key charge transfer pathways contributing to electrocatalytic activity.

Conclusions:

• Conductive MOFs/COFs offer a viable pathway for efficient electrocatalysis.
• Further research is needed for structural optimization, exploring new applications, and establishing structure-activity relationships.
• This field holds significant potential for addressing critical electrochemical challenges.