Metal organic framework composites for reduction of CO2

Global warming due to greenhouse gases is a major current environmental threat. In today’s world those applicable technologies which convert CO2 into valuable and environmentally friendly fuels and chemicals are of great importance. Thanks to functional sites or guests embedded in the structure, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) show a superb potential for such a conversion that is even further enhanced in MOF composites. The present review discusses the use of MOF composites, with an emphasis on their constituent components, as catalysts for CO2 reduction, converting it into various value-added and environmentally friendly chemicals such as saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, carboxylic acids and carboxylates, and carbon monoxide. The present review covers four major approaches for CO2 reduction, including electroreduction, photoreduction, photoelectroreduction, and hydrogenation. All reports on the design and development of appropriate MOF composites to be used in the above-mentioned CO2 reductions have been considered. Finally, the future outlook on the use of MOF composites in CO2 reduction is provided, giving some ideas for further design highly efficient MOF composites capable of converting CO2 to value-added products.