Recent advancements in metal–organic frameworks integrating quantum dots (QDs@MOF) and their potential applications

Abstract

Design and development of new materials and their hybrids are key to addressing current energy issues. Thanks to their tunable textural and physiochemical properties, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) show great potential toward gas sorption, catalysis, sensing, and electrochemical energy applications. Nevertheless, practical applications of MOFs have been hampered because of their limited electrical conductivity, micropore size, and poor stability. However, smart integration of zero-dimensional quantum dots (QDs) into an MOF template, where the host structure offers suitable interactions for enhancing the stability and synergic properties, may be a solution. The objective of this review is to summarize recent advances in the field of QD@MOFs, highlighting fresh approaches to synthesis strategies and progress made in their application to optoelectronic devices, sensing, biomedical, catalysis, and energy storage. The current challenges and future directions of QDs@MOFs hybrids toward advancing energy and environmental applications are also addressed. We anticipate that this review will inspire researchers to develop novel MOF hybrids for energy, optoelectronics, and biomedical applications.