Review on the utilization of metal organic frameworks for eliminating bisphenols from aqueous solutions: Mechanisms and performance insights

• Bisphenols are endocrine-disrupting contaminants in aquatic systems. • BPA is the most studied bisphenol among endocrine-disrupting compounds. • MOFs offer high potential for bisphenol removal due to their unique properties. • Research mainly focuses on BPA adsorption under acidic to neutral conditions. • MOF adsorption is driven by H-bonding, π–π interactions, and physisorption. Bisphenols, as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, pose significant environmental and health risks due to their persistence in aquatic systems. This study aimed to review the utilization of metal–organic frameworks for eliminating bisphenols from aqueous solutions, focusing on mechanisms and performance insights. MOFs have recently attracted attention as promising adsorbents for bisphenol removal due to their high surface area, tunable functionalities, and versatile interaction mechanisms. This review analyzes studies published between 2015 and 2025, retrieved from Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. Of the 98 articles screened, 42 met the inclusion criteria. The results indicate that BPA dominated the research focus (95.23%), while other BP analogs received minimal attention. Experimental studies typically used BPA concentrations of 1–20 mg/L, with 50% reporting rapid removal within 60 min under acidic to neutral pH conditions, highlighting the critical role of pH in adsorption performance. Frequently studied MOFs included ZIF-67, MIL-53(Al), and UiO-66, while advanced composites (e.g., Ti-In-MOF, CoMn₂O₄, Ag/Ag₃PO₄, C-HKUST-1/MIL-100, Ni₃Fe LDH/88A, and CoS@GN) achieved near-complete removal. Adsorption mechanisms were primarily governed by hydrogen bonding and π–π interactions, consistent with Freundlich isotherms and pseudo-second-order kinetics. Unlike prior reviews that mainly summarize removal efficiencies, this study critically highlights unresolved challenges, such as limited focus on non-BPA bisphenols, real-world applicability, regeneration, and cost-effective synthesis. Novel contributions include a comparative framework linking MOF structures to adsorption performance, mechanistic insights into pH-dependent adsorption, and a synthesis of methodological and analytical trends. Collectively, these findings provide practical guidance for advancing MOF-based adsorbents toward stable, selective, and scalable applications in water treatment.