Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) as Photocatalysts for the Degradation of Agricultural Pollutants in Water

Increasing demand for food due to rapid population growth has exerted unprecedented pressure on the global agricultural industry. Agrochemicals are widely used to ensure productivity, leading to the prevalence of legacy and emerging agricultural chemicals in the environment, most of which are toxic and persistent. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as a group of novel photocatalytic materials with ultrahigh porosity and tunability have demonstrated high potential for efficient removal of these recalcitrant pollutants. This critical review aims to present the potential of MOF-catalyzed photodegradation of pesticides and antibiotics. Initially, the capabilities of different MOF-based composites to harvest visible light are compared. Examples include MOFs combined with bismuth oxyhalides (BiOX) and graphite oxide (GO). Mechanisms involved in MOF-induced photocatalytic processes such as electron-hole (e(-)/h(+)) separation, generation of reactive species, and degradation pathways of representative pollutants as well as impacts of water chemistry are illustrated in detailed. Research on applying MOF-catalyzed processes is largely in progress, and many more studies with greater mechanistic evaluation are needed to fully assess the potential of such processes to depollute water.