Emergence of single atom catalyst and metallic organic frameworks (MOF) derived photocatalytic systems for CO2 conversion into C1 value added products

Abstract

The alarming rise in atmospheric CO<inf>2</inf> has driven research into sustainable solar-driven conversion technologies for producing biofuels and enhancing renewable energy utilization. Single atoms (SA) catalysts gaining attention due to their exceptional activity and durability. Meanwhile, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) provide abundant reactive sites, ensuring long-term selectivity and stability through their tuneable functional groups. Due to their well-arranged structures, MOFs are ideal platforms for securing individual atoms and enhancing solar-driven reactions. This review systematically explores the structural properties synthesis strategies, and fabrication techniques of SA-supported MOF catalysts, emphasizing their design principles. The novel designs of SA-supported MOF derivatives along with a plethora of interdisciplinary characterization techniques, offer extensive opportunities to conduct diverse studies for catalytic activity, key modification strategies like oxygen vacancy, heterojunction formation, and ligand functionalization are deliberated in detail, highlighting their significant impact on catalytic activity. Additionally, a particular focus on SA-supported MOFs to improve the CO<inf>2</inf> reduction activity towards selected C1 products, emphasizing different mechanistic routes, and structural alterations, with various reduction reaction conditions. The synergistic effect of SA sites and the MOF framework in improving CO<inf>2</inf> adsorption, activation, and conversion efficacy is deeply studied. Lastly, the conclusion and future perspective for converting CO<inf>2</inf> into biofuels using SA-supported MOFs are presented.