Solar energy storage to chemical: Photocatalytic CO₂ reduction over pristine metal-organic frameworks with mechanistic studies

The enormous addition of CO₂ is alarming for sustainability and efficient conversion of CO₂ into valuable products is emerging technique for sustainable future. Photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ by using solar energy is emergent not only for environmental concerns but also production of suitable chemicals and fuels. Metal-organic frameworks have been considered in forefront in photocatalysis due to porous and adjustable structure. By using the post-modifications in the metallic nodes and linkers, the structure of MOFs can be tuned, however, the proper functionalization of MOFs cannot be achieved without the knowledge of photocatalytic mechanism. Herein, we have summarized the recent advancements in pristine MOF-based photocatalysts focusing on the mechanistic studies for CO₂ reduction reaction. This article has established the structure-performance relationship in MOFs to lead the novel strategies for efficient photocatalysts. Finally, the concluding remarks also provides some future directions in the field.