UiO-66 (Zr) metal-organic framework for photocatalytic CO2 reduction: functional design strategies for sustainable carbon utilization

Review article, 2025

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction is a promising approach to mitigate environmental problems caused by excessive CO2 emissions while reducing over-reliance on fossil fuels by converting CO2 into valuable products. Recently, the UiO-66 (Zr) metal-organic framework has been recognized as an excellent candidate for photocatalytic CO2 reduction due to its porous structure, large specific surface area, and excellent CO2 adsorption capacity. Remarkable progress has been made, so it is timely to comprehensively review the state-of-the-art functional design strategies for UiO-66 targeted at photocatalytic CO2 reduction. In this review, the fundamentals of photocatalytic CO2 reduction and the advances of UiO-66 are critically summarized. Subsequently, the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes, recognized as a key parameter affecting photocatalytic CO2 reduction, is discussed, along with methods for its evaluation. The strategies for systematically designing UiO-66 for improving the efficiency of photocatalytic CO2 reduction are thoroughly assessed. Finally, the challenges for photocatalytic CO2 reduction by UiO-66 are presented, and recommendations for future studies are proposed. This review is expected to provide new insights to advance the development of photocatalytic CO2 reduction using UiO-66 and to inspire innovative approaches for overcoming the current limitations.