Application progress of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) materials in the detection of food contaminants

With the increasing standardization of food production, the detection of trace food contaminants is becoming extremely crucial. Therefore, it is imperative to carefully select adsorbents with high sensitivity and selectivity for sample pretreatment. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) possess inherent advantages over other materials, including low density, large surface area, adjustable pore size and structure, as well as customizable features. Recently, there has been a significant advancement in the application of COFs as adsorbents for trace food contaminants. This article reviews the application progress and scenarios of COFs in detecting trace contaminants from different sources. The current focus on detecting various contaminants is summarized and the prospects of COFs in food safety are discussed. Finally, the suggestions for the future detection direction are proposed. This work has significant implications for future advancements in trace detection of food contaminants.