MOF-based membranes for remediation of water pollution have attracted significant interests. In this review, we present an overview of the advances of MOF-based membranes for the filtration and antifouling properties with a focus on the engineered and synthesized strategies of materials.

Abstract

Membrane separation plays a crucial role in the current increasingly complex energy environment. Membranes prepared by metal–organic framework (MOF) materials usually possess unique advantages in common, such as uniform pore size, ultra-high porosity, enhanced selectivity and throughput, and excellent adsorption property, which have been contributed to the separation fields. In this comprehensive review, we summarize various designs and synthesized strategies of free-standing MOF and composite MOF-based membranes for water treatment. Special emphases are given not only on the effects of MOF on membrane performance, removal efficiencies, and elimination mechanisms, but also on the importance of MOF-based membranes for the applications of oily and micro-pollutant removal, adsorption, separation, and catalysis. The challenges and opportunities in the future for the industrial implementation of MOF-based membranes are also discussed.