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REVIEW ARTICLE

Precision remediation of water pollutants using metal-organic framework/biomass-derived carbon composites: A state-of-the-art review

Tongyin Fang1 ,  Ping Zou1 ,  Liuyu Chen1 ,  Haohong Huang1 ,  Maosong Ding1 ,  Xingyuan Gao1*
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1 School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangdong University of Education, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
EER, 026120008 https://doi.org/10.36922/EER026120008
Received: 20 March 2026 | Revised: 26 May 2026 | Accepted: 10 June 2026 | Published online: 2 July 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Traditional water treatment technologies face limitations, including low efficiency, poor selectivity, and secondary pollution. Therefore, advanced multifunctional materials are needed. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) provide high surface area and tunable porosity, while biomass-derived carbons (BDCs) offer low cost and electrical conductivity. MOF/BDC composites combine these benefits, enabling synergistic adsorption and catalysis for precise water treatment. This review examines the design and synthesis of MOF/BDC composites. It focuses on structure-performance relationships, pollutant removal mechanisms, and applications in integrated treatment systems. To enhance material functionality, interface engineering helps integrate adsorption, catalysis, and separation. Therefore, these materials exhibit good target recognition, anti-interference stability, and recyclability in practical water treatment. Future directions include machine-learning-assisted material design, smart, responsive materials, modular system integration, and life-cycle assessment, to help move laboratory research toward large-scale applications for global water security and the circular economy.

Keywords
Metal-organic frameworks
Biomass-derived carbons
Adsorption
Funding
This research was funded by Research and Innovation Team for Wastewater Treatment and Monitoring of Guangdong University of Education (2024KYCXTD016), Guangdong Provincial Department of Education Key Area Special Project (2022ZDZX4037, 2024ZDZX4063), and College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program Training Program (project grant number: 202614278093; ‘Bamboo’ Guides the Clean Path—A New Approach to Precise Water Pollutant Management Led by Bi-MOF@BC Composite Material).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests
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