Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their derivatives as emerging catalysts for electro-Fenton process in water purification

[Display omitted] •MOFs and their derived materials as EF catalysts in water purification were reviewed.•The fabrication strategies of MOFs and advantages of MOFs derivatives were introduced.•The suitable pH and stability of MOFs-based materials for EF process were discussed.•The challenges and prospects of MOFs-based materials for EF process were presented. As an important advanced oxidation process, electro-Fenton (EF) has gained considerable attention owing to its impressive ability for the degradation of refractory organic pollutants. Over the past few years, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have received widespread interest due to their unique merits such as large surface area, tunable pore structure and abundant active sites. MOFs derivatives with similar structural characteristics possess additional advantages compared to original MOFs, which further broadens the applications of MOFs. Particularly, MOFs-based materials have been extensively used in EF process recently and this research area is rapidly growing. This article presents a timely and comprehensive overview of MOFs and their derivatives as catalysts for EF process in water purification. We firstly reviewed synthetic methods of MOFs for EF process and displayed the advantages of MOFs derivatives. Representative research on MOFs, MOFs composites and their derivatives for EF process were then summarized. The reaction mechanisms in the EF process for elimination of various contaminants (including antibiotics, herbicides, and dyes) with MOFs-based materials as catalysts were described. Finally, an outlook on the current challenges and promising opportunities in this research area were discussed. This review should be of value in facilitating MOFs-based materials to become a competitive choice as EF catalysts for water purification.