Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for wastewater treatment: A comprehensive review on crystallinity and multifunctional properties

Abstract Water contamination poses a serious threat to both the environment and human health, making efficient water purification a global priority. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), composed of metal ions and organic ligands forming porous crystalline structures, have emerged as promising materials for this purpose due to their high surface area, tunable chemistry, and structural versatility. These properties enable MOFs to function effectively as adsorbents, photocatalysts, and sensors for water pollutants. Recent studies have demonstrated that Zr‐based MOFs, such as UiO‐66, can efficiently remove heavy metals like Pb 2 + and Cd 2 + from industrial wastewater, while Ti‐based MOFs have been applied as photocatalysts to degrade persistent organic dyes under visible light. This review highlights such advances in MOF design and application, including their use in adsorption, catalytic degradation, and contaminant detection via colorimetry, electrochemistry, luminescence, and surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy. This review highlights recent advances in MOFs for the removal and degradation of contaminants, their applications in detection techniques such as colorimetry, electrochemistry, luminescence, and surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and the challenges and opportunities associated with their practical implementation. The chemical tunability, stability, and reusability of MOFs establish them as highly suitable candidates for sustainable water purification, offering significant potential for environmental applications.