From Design to Applications: A Comprehensive Review on Porous Frameworks for Photocatalytic Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Removal

Abstract Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present significant and irreversible risks to both human health and the environment. Therefore, there is an urgent and important need for extensive research aimed at identifying suitable materials and effective technical approaches for VOC removal. Metal‐ and covalent organic frameworks (MOFs, COFs), along with covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs), represent an attractive class of porous materials characterized by adjustable structures, high porosity, and high specific surface areas. In recent years, these materials have rapidly advanced across various fields, including gas adsorption and separation, drug delivery, sensing, and heterogeneous catalysis. Notably, MOFs, COFs, and CTFs exhibit immense potential for the photocatalytic elimination of VOCs, since they behave as semiconductors with adjustable properties. This review offers an overview of the synthesis and structural relationships of MOFs, COFs, and CTFs while discussing the recent progress in photocatalytic VOC removal. Additionally, a comprehensive overview of the photocatalytic mechanism is presented. Finally, the current limitations and prospective future developments are discussed.