Metal-organic frameworks: A promising solution for addressing phenol pollution and promoting environmental sustainability

Water shortage is a growing problem that affects billions of people who lack access to clean drinking water. Industrial waste, especially phenols, is the chief culprit. Their stability makes it difficult for traditional techniques to eliminate these persistent pollutants. This review highlights Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) as an innovation in producing cleaner products. These highly modifiable frameworks possess excellent catalytic and adsorptive ability towards the removal of phenol. It shows higher performance than current technologies, which suggests a prospective route toward cleaning dirty water. Firstly, we uncover the problems associated with phenol pollution and the limitations of existing methods. Next, we display MOFs as adsorbents, catalysts, or composite membranes effective at capturing phenol from water sources. Additionally, this research paper examines how MOFs work in wastewater treatment systems. Various routes for synthesizing MOFs, their efficiency in removing phenols, and whether they are economically sustainable or not were examined. Thus, this extensive review reveals how MOFs could become one of the most promising clean technology options for the emerging environmental problem – polluted phenolic substances and watery solutions are becoming increasingly common. • Phenolic compounds from industrial waste are a major culprit in water pollution. • MOFs offer a novel and innovative approach to cleaner production. • MOFs demonstrate excellent adsorption and catalytic abilities for removing phenols. • MOFs hold significant promise as a solution for cleaning polluted water.