Recent advances in metal-organic frameworks: Synthesis, application and toxicity

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are advanced porous hybrid materials with tunable properties.
• MOFs exhibit potential in energy storage, gas separation, catalysis, and biomedicine.
• Environmental release of MOFs necessitates understanding their toxicity and lifecycle impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review MOF synthesis methods and emerging applications, particularly in biomedicine.
• To evaluate MOF exposure routes, toxicity factors, and underlying molecular mechanisms.
• To identify knowledge gaps and explore future research directions for MOFs.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of MOF synthesis, applications, and toxicity studies.
• Analysis of environmental exposure pathways and toxicological data.
• Identification of research trends and future perspectives in MOF development.

Main Results:

• MOFs show significant promise in therapeutic agents and bioimaging.
• Current understanding of MOF toxicity mechanisms and exposure routes is developing.
• Key challenges include ensuring MOF safety and managing their lifecycle.

Conclusions:

• Further research is crucial for developing high-performance, non-toxic MOFs.
• A holistic approach to MOF lifecycle assessment is required.
• Exploiting MOFs' full potential necessitates addressing safety and environmental concerns.