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Research Progress in the Preparation of MOF/Cellulose Composites and Their Applications in Fluorescent Detection, Adsorption, and Degradation of Pollutants in Wastewater

Zhimin Zhao, Liyun Feng, Dongsheng Song, Ming Zhang^*

College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihua University, Jilin, 132013, China

* Corresponding Author: Ming Zhang. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Sustainable Development and Multifunctional Application of Cellulose Composites)

Journal of Polymer Materials 2025, 42(4), 929-957. https://doi.org/10.32604/jpm.2025.074529

Received 13 October 2025; Accepted 25 November 2025; Issue published 26 December 2025

Abstract

Global water pollution is becoming increasingly serious, and compound pollutants such as heavy metals and organic dyes pose multidimensional threats to ecology and human health. Metal-organic skeleton compounds (MOFs) have been proven to be highly efficient in capturing a variety of pollutants by virtue of their large specific surface area, adjustable pore channels, and abundant active sites. However, the easy agglomeration of powders, the difficulty of recycling, and the poor long-term stability have limited their practical applications. Cellulose, as the most abundant renewable polymer in nature, has the characteristics of a three-dimensional network, mechanical flexibility, and easy surface functionalization, which can be synergized with MOF to construct “green composites”. The cellulose backbone inhibits the agglomeration of MOF particles and provides macro/mesoporous channels to significantly enhance the mass transfer rate. The hydroxyl and carboxyl groups from cellulose and its derivatives can be hydrogen-bonded or covalently bonded with MOF to enhance structural stability. Meantime, the composites can be woven, film-forming, and biodegradable to realize recovery and recycling. This paper describes the preparation method of MOF/cellulose composites, then focuses on the preparation style of MOF/cellulose composites, summarizes the applications of MOF/cellulose composites in the fields of adsorption and degradation of organic dyes, detection and adsorption of heavy metal ions, high toxicity anions, etc., and looks forward to the future development prospect of MOF/cellulose composites.

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