Zirconium Metal-Organic Framework Materials for Efficient Ion Adsorption and Sieving

Zirconium metal-organic framework (Zr-MOF) materials with excellent ion adsorption capacities and efficient ion sieving properties are highly desirable for many important industrial separation applications. There has been significant progress in the fabrication of Zr-MOF-based ion adsorbents and ion sieving membranes in recent years for efficient removal of toxic ions and/or recovery of precious metal ions from water. These Zr-MOF materials possess uniform pore sizes, high porosities, and specific functional groups for enhancing ion adsorption capacity, ion selectivity, and ion conductivity. Recent advances in the fabrication of advanced Zr-MOF-based ion adsorbents for removal of toxic cations and anions from water are summarized. Following this, recent achievements of high-quality Zr-MOF membranes/channels for efficient ion sieving are highlighted and discussed in detail. Finally, a summary and some perspectives of future developments and challenges in this exciting research field are presented.