Metal-organic frameworks or MOFs are one of the hottest topics in chemical engineering today. The field’s pioneers, Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi, received the 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry. MOFs open up completely new opportunities for capturing, storing, and separating gases and liquids.
“The aim of MOF research is to address global challenges, such as the availability of clean water, resource efficiency, and climate change,” says Eveliina Repo, professor of separation technology at LUT University.
MOFs absorb pollutants
MOFs consist of metal ions connected by organic molecules. Together, they form highly porous three-dimensional structures with an internal surface area so vast that a single gram of material can equal the area of a football field. As a result, MOFs can capture large quantities of different compounds, including gases, solvents, and waterborne pollutants.
“Many harmful or valuable substances in water are present in very small amounts and mixed with other compounds. MOFs can be tailored to target certain metals, nutrients like phosphate, or trace pollutants such as pharmaceuticals,” explains Kinga Skalska-Tuomi, post-doctoral researcher at LUT.
MOFs are not found in nature; they are developed under laboratory conditions. They can be engineered to act as photocatalysts, meaning that the adsorbed compounds can be degraded using light. Over 10,000 MOFs have been developed so far, and new ones are constantly emerging.
Cleaner drinking water with MOFs
MOFs are being studied around the world. The research has advanced rapidly, especially in environmental and water technology, although industrial-scale applications are still in development.
“MOFs improve drinking water quality by removing harmful substances that are difficult to capture with current technologies. MOFs can also be used in recycling processes. They help recover valuable resources from waste, which supports the sustainable use of materials,” Skalska-Tuomi points out.
In the future, MOFs could also be used in air purification, carbon capture, and even in batteries or gas storage.
MOF research to be presented in the ETWT conference in Mikkeli
LUT University's separation science department studies MOFs as part of water treatment research. Other application areas include clean hydrogen production and the capture of carbon dioxide, critical raw materials, and environmentally harmful substances.
“MOF research aims to promote the sustainable use of natural resources and develop clean energy solutions. The target is to combine advanced materials with practical, real-world applications,” Repo says.
MOFs are one of the themes of the Emerging Trends in Water Treatment (ETWT) conference in Mikkeli, 9–11 June 2026. The conference brings together leading researchers and other key actors in the field to discuss new materials, advanced purification methods, and sustainable solutions for water treatment.
Lisätietoja:
Eveliina Repo
