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Peer-reviewedCC BYNanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)

Challenging the Surface Area Paradigm: A Critical Review of Low-BET Metal–Organic Frameworks for the Adsorption of Organic Water Pollutants

  • Malcom Frimpong Dapaah1
  • Xingbao Zhu2
  • Hui Jia3
  • Huiying Zhang4
  • Ruth Antwi-Baah5
  • Candy Ann Dwamena Darkwa6
  • Liang Cheng3
6 affiliations
  1. 1School of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
  2. 2Technical Centre for Soil, Agriculture and Rural Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100012, China
  3. 3School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Institute of Environment and Ecology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
  4. 4School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
  5. 5College of Ecology and Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
  6. 6Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, College of Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi AK-448-7038, Ghana
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Abstract

The application of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) toward the adsorption of organic pollutants from aqueous systems has attracted heightened attention in recent times. While considerable research works have examined high-surface-area MOFs, growing evidence demonstrates that MOFs with low Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface areas (SBET ≤ 100 m2/g) can also achieve remarkably high pollutant adsorption. This review critically examines, for the first time, recent developments that have enabled low-surface-area MOFs to adsorb organic pollutants from wastewater efficiently. The first part explores compositional modifications of low-surface-area MOF adsorbents, with particular attention to their metal centers. Furthermore, four categories of auxiliary components were delved into. Additionally, the factors influencing adsorbent synthesis were presented. Moreover, low- and high-SBET MOFs were directly compared. Finally, current challenges and key research gaps were identified. Future research priorities such as rigorous mechanistic validation, performance evaluation in realistic water matrices, improved regeneration strategies, and advancing pilot-scale studies to facilitate practical application were also presented.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{dapaah2026challenging,
  title = {{Challenging the Surface Area Paradigm: A Critical Review of Low-BET Metal–Organic Frameworks for the Adsorption of Organic Water Pollutants}},
  author = {Malcom Frimpong Dapaah and Xingbao Zhu and Hui Jia and Huiying Zhang and Ruth Antwi-Baah and Candy Ann Dwamena Darkwa and Liang Cheng},
  journal = {Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3390/nano16191271},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13667223},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Challenging the Surface Area Paradigm: A Critical Review of Low-BET Metal–Organic Frameworks for the Adsorption of Organic Water Pollutants
AU  - Malcom Frimpong Dapaah
AU  - Xingbao Zhu
AU  - Hui Jia
AU  - Huiying Zhang
AU  - Ruth Antwi-Baah
AU  - Candy Ann Dwamena Darkwa
AU  - Liang Cheng
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/01
JO  - Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
DO  - 10.3390/nano16191271
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13667223
AB  - The application of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) toward the adsorption of organic pollutants from aqueous systems has attracted heightened attention in recent times. While considerable research works have examined high-surface-area MOFs, growing evidence demonstrates that MOFs with low Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface areas (SBET ≤ 100 m2/g) can also achieve remarkably high pollutant adsorption. This review critically examines, for the first time, recent developments that have enabled low-surface-area MOFs to adsorb organic pollutants from wastewater efficiently. The first part explores compositional modifications of low-surface-area MOF adsorbents, with particular attention to their metal centers. Furthermore, four categories of auxiliary components were delved into. Additionally, the factors influencing adsorbent synthesis were presented. Moreover, low- and high-SBET MOFs were directly compared. Finally, current challenges and key research gaps were identified. Future research priorities such as rigorous mechanistic validation, performance evaluation in realistic water matrices, improved regeneration strategies, and advancing pilot-scale studies to facilitate practical application were also presented.
SN  - 2079-4991
ER  -