Artificial and Semi-artificial Photosynthesis (AP and SAP) Systems Based on Metal-Organic Frameworks

Recently, artificial and semi-artificial photosynthesis have attracted extensive attentions in addressing the crisis of energy from fossil fuels and reducing excessive CO₂ emission. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been considered as ideal platforms for constructing artificial photosynthesis systems due to their unique properties like large specific surface area, high porosity and diverse framework topology, and tunable functionalities. This review discussed the characteristics, superiorities and challenges of MOF-based photocatalysts, and detailed summarization of several common design strategies for MOF-based artificial systems, including i) enhancement of light absorption, ii) acceleration of the charge separation and transfer, and iii) introduction of additional active units. Particularly, we give examples showing the applications of MOF-based photocatalysts, where the mechanisms of superior photocatalytic activity and selectivity are also analyzed, thereby providing theoretical guidance for rational design of MOF-based photocatalysts. Finally, the challenges and future research directions of MOF-based photocatalysts are prospected.