Single- and mixed-metal-organic framework photocatalysts for carbon dioxide reduction

The photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into high value-added chemical fuels is deemed an attractive way for working out the energy dilemma and ameliorating extreme CO 2 emission. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are inorganic-organic hybrid materials constructed from metal/metal cluster nodes and organic bridging linkers, which can be considered as desired photocatalysts in the field of CO 2 conversion owing to their superior CO 2 capture capacity, unique reticular structures and photoelectronic properties. Herein, recent progress in MOF-based photocatalysts for CO 2 reduction is discussed, mainly focusing on homometallic- and heterometallic-MOFs for photocatalytic CO 2 reduction. Varied strategies for improving the properties of MOF-based photocatalysts and the correlation between the structures and activity are highlighted, which will provide insight for the construction of highly efficient MOF-based photocatalysts for CO 2 conversion. The challenges of this field are mentioned, which will facilitate the development of MOFs for efficient CO 2 conversion. This review focuses on the important roles of varied metal types over MOF-based photocatalysts. The basic principles, types of MOF photocatalysts and roles of the reaction system to achieve efficient MOFs for CO 2 photoreduction are discussed.