Goal-Directed Design of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Hg^II and Pb^II Adsorption from Aqueous Solutions

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which are inorganic-organic hybrid porous materials prepared from metal ion/clusters and multidentate organic ligands, have evolved to be next-generation utility materials because of their usability in diverse applications. These porous materials, with excellent chemical stability and a wide variety of functional groups, have demonstrated their utility to the area of capturing various types of hazardous metal ion pollutants. This conceptual review focuses on recent progress in reported MOFs as Hg^II and Pb^II adsorbents emphasizing the general concepts that have guided important developments in these area and their implications for future research. Also, we suggest our personal insights into future research opportunities in the area and we hope to encourage more researchers to engage in this new field of MOF-based materials with the goal of environmental pollution management.