Metal-organic frameworks as burgeoning materials for the capture and sensing of indoor VOCs and radon gases

[Display omitted] •The might risks of indoor VOCs and Rn are present.•The MOFs adsorption researches under practical conditions are summarized.•The use of appropriate evaluation metrics is critical for adsorption researches.•The sensing of indoor VOCs based on MOFs as preconcentration materials are discussed.•Current challenges and potentials of MOFs-based absorbents are discussed. Volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) and radon (Rn) gas are well-known indoor air pollutants that cause indoor air problems and pose health risks. Thus, it is extremely important to adsorb and sense them under practical conditions. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are ideal choice for adsorption and sensing due to their extensive tunability and complexation with gas, which endow them with sufficient adsorption capacity and specific affinity for overcoming the limitations of applications. This review summarizes the recent advances in the adsorption of indoor VOCs and Rn gas under practical conditions based on the use of suitable evaluation metrics and discussed the sensing of indoor VOCs based on the superior adsorption performance of MOFs (preconcentration materials). Finally, based on the excellent adsorption properties of MOFs, we present new insights into possible future developments and challenges in the atmosphere to further advance the research in this field.