Photophysics of metal-organic frameworks: A brief overview

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which are self-assembled porous coordination materials, have garnered considerable attention in the fields of optoelectronics, photovoltaic, photochemistry, and photocatalysis due to their diverse structures and excellent tunability. However, the performance of MOF-based optoelectronic applications currently falls short of the industry benchmark. To enhance the performance of MOF materials, it is imperative to undertake comprehensive investigations aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of photophysics and sequentially optimizing properties related to photocarrier transport, recombination, interaction, and transfer. By utilizing femtosecond laser pulses to excite MOFs, time-resolved optical spectroscopy offers a means to observe and characterize these ultrafast microscopic processes. This approach adds the time coordinate as a novel dimension for comprehending the interaction between light and MOFs. Accordingly, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements in the photophysics of MOFs and additionally outlines potential avenues for exploring the time domain in the investigation of MOFs.