Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and Their Composites for Oil/Water Separation.

Contamination of water by oil-based pollutants is a major environmental problem because of its harmful impact on human life, marine life, and the environment. As a result, a wide range of materials are being investigated for the effective separation of oil from water. Among these materials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their composites have emerged as excellent candidates due to their ultraporous structures with high surface areas that can be engineered to achieve high selectivity for one of the phases in an oil/water mixture for efficient water filtration.

Metal-Organic Frameworks and Their Biodegradable Composites for Controlled Delivery of Antimicrobial Drugs.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global crisis with an increasing number of untreatable or exceedingly difficult-to-treat bacterial infections, due to their growing resistance to existing drugs. It is predicted that AMR will be the leading cause of death by 2050. In addition to ongoing efforts on preventive strategies and infection control, there is ongoing research towards the development of novel vaccines, antimicrobial agents, and optimised diagnostic practices to address AMR.

Metal-Organic Frameworks as Potential Agents for Extraction and Delivery of Pesticides and Agrochemicals.

Pesticide contamination is a global issue, affecting nearly 44% of the global farming population, and disproportionately affecting farmers and agricultural workers in developing countries. Despite this, global pesticide usage is on the rise, with the growing demand of global food production with increasing population. Different types of porous materials, such as carbon and zeolites, have been explored for the remediation of pesticides from the environment.

Zirconium-Based MOFs and Their Biodegradable Polymer Composites for Controlled and Sustainable Delivery of Herbicides.

Adsorption and controlled release of agrochemicals has been studied widely using different nanomaterials and a variety of formulations. However, the potential for application of high surface-area metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for the controlled release of agrochemicals has not been thoroughly explored. Herein, we report controlled and sustainable release of a widely used herbicide (2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, MCPA) via incorporation in a range of zirconium-based MOFs and their biodegradable polymer composites.