Unlocking potential and challenges of MOFs and COFs based energy materials for CO2 reduction and H2 production

Abstract

Green H₂ generation and CO₂ capture provide the captivating aspirations for environmental remediation to acquire carbon neutral prospects. Albeit, actualization and extensibility of these technologies need effective catalytic systems to enhance the performances of H₂ evolution reaction (HER) and CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR). MOFs and COFs are the fascinating functional compounds possessing porous structures which reveal tunable surface property and tremendous specific surface area. This review article intimates with the remarkable characteristics of MOFs/COFs and current achievements in the field of heterogeneous catalysis that can proffer exceptional photocatalytic and electrocatalytic activity specifically towards CO₂RR and HER for scalable sustainable endeavors. The prudent choices of fabrication methods to achieve cost-efficient catalytic maneuvers have been detailed in the light of recent methodological advances. In the contemplation of understanding reaction mechanism and viability of MOFs/COFs based energy operations, the recent growth in their theoretical modelling and techno-economic assessments have been extensively discussed and finally the future perspectives have been presented to highlight the scope of improvement coherently. This review will act as a felicitous medium for promoting MOF and COF based catalytic systems towards energy-conversion applications with utilizable cognizance for future energy technologies.