This Research Topic is Volume II of a series. The previous volume can be found here:
Materials for Electroanalysis Based on Advanced FrameworksMetal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their cousin crystals, covalent organic frameworks (COFs), are two frontier types of porous materials with extraordinarily high surface area and tunable porosity that can absorb, encapsulate, or immobilize large quantities of target molecules as well as nanomaterials. In MOFs and COFs, organic and metal-organic molecules are individually stitched into large and extended periodic networks by strong covalent interactions, which were firstly defined in 1990s by Yaghi’s group. Invented and developed by Xu and Yaghi, the porous crystals have also been seen as attractive precursors to fabricate functional porous derivatives. In the past few years, MOF and COF-based materials (pristine MOFs, pristine COFs, and their composites as well as derivatives) have attracted much attention for their considerable potential in sensing, separation, and catalysis due to their unique properties and unprecedented advantages compared with other materials.
Recently, MOFs and COFs-based materials have received increasing attention due to their potential as an efficient electrochemical sensing platform with enhanced sensitivity, specificity, and broad range of targets. However, there are still some issues with MOFs and COFs before they can be effectively used. Poor electrical conductivity and water instability limits their further application. In addition, although MOFs posses high surface area, a large proportion of MOF is occupied by the nonactive building ligands, resulting in low electro-active sites. Their intrinsic fragility, powdered crystalline state, and large scale size lead to low active area, low mass transfer rate, and difficult modification as well as poor stability on electrode. Finally, the anti-biofouling ability of MOFs and COFs based materials remains to be improved for the analysis of biological samples.
MOFs and COFs-based materials have also attracted great attention as efficient electrocatalysts to address the energy and environmental issues which involve many crucial electrochemical reactions including hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR), nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), methanol/ethanol oxidation reaction (M/EOR), as well as electrochemical organic synthesis.
We welcome contributions in this Research Topic covering novel advance in electroanalysis and electrocatalysis based on MOFs, COFs, and their composites/derivatives. Themes of interest include, but are not limited to:
• Synthesis of stable/electroactive/conductive MOFs or COFs, strategies to improve electrical conductivity for enhanced performances in electroanalysis and electrocatalysis.
• Facile surface modification method/strategy developed for MOFs/COFs on conductive substrates, including covalent modification, insitu-growth, novel physical methods, and electrochemical synthesis.
• Hydrogels/aerogels or flexible materials based on COFs or MOFs developed to overcome their intrinsic fragility and powdered crystalline state to promote electrochemical application.
• Nanosized MOFs or COFs for enhanced electrochemical performances.
• Biomolecules encapsulated in MOFs or COFs for enhanced thermal, chemical, and mechanical stability, broadening their operational conditions and extending their potential applications.
• MOFs or COFs base materials for enhanced selectivity in electroanalysis and electrocatalysis.
• Method/strategy developed to improve the anti-fouling and anti-poisoning capability in electroanalysis and.electrocatalysis.
• Electrochemical enantioselective sensing based on MOFs or COFs.
