Synthesis and catalytic application of defective MOF materials

Metal-organic framework (MOF) backbone materials, as nanoporous materials, have outstanding performance in studies on adsorption and catalysis by virtue of their high porosity, large specific surface area, unsaturated metal coordination sites, and diverse structures and functions. However, it is difficult to synthesize truly perfect MOFs in practical experiments because any slight change in reaction conditions may lead to defects in the material. This suggests that defects may be prevalent in MOFs and a systematic understanding of defects would be beneficial in controlling the material properties. Meanwhile, the detection and synthesis of defective MOF materials are still in the development stage. In this paper, the synthesis methods, characterization techniques, and optimization strategies of defective MOFs in catalysis are reviewed. This paper discusses the current difficulties of defective MOF materials and makes suggestions for future work.