Catalytic Metal–Organic Framework Membranes: Advances in Electrocatalysis, Photocatalysis, and Thermocatalysis

Abstract

Metal–organic framework (MOF) membranes combine the structural designability of MOFs with a continuous membrane architecture that integrates reactant enrichment, active-site accessibility, and product separation. This review surveys catalytic MOF membranes reported from 2016 to 2025, from fabrication strategies—classified by how catalytic function is integrated with the membrane (intrinsic framework active sites, guest species incorporation, and non-catalytic microenvironment coating)—to catalytic performance in electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, and thermocatalysis. In electrocatalysis, non-catalytic MOF coatings improve CO2 reduction and nitrogen reduction, whereas MOF-derived electrodes currently lead water-splitting benchmarks. In photocatalysis, MOF membranes have enabled CO2 reduction with near-unity HCOOH selectivity, pollutant degradation, Cr(VI) reduction, and H2 evolution stable for over 1000 h. In thermocatalysis, membrane demonstrations are so far confined to low- and medium-temperature antibacterial and oxidative desulfurization applications, whereas alkyne semihydrogenation and high-temperature operation of intact membranes remain largely unexplored. Across all three regimes, membrane geometry governs reactant enrichment, separation, and catalyst recoverability, yet inconsistent reporting limits cross-study comparison. Key challenges and future directions are discussed.