Design of MOF Catalysts for Plastic Upcycling: Linking Structure to Catalytic Performance

Chemical upcycling of waste plastics requires catalysts that can overcome limitations in polymer accessibility, mass transport, and selective bond activation. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) provide highly tunable catalytic platforms through control of metal nodes, organic linkers, pore architecture, defects, and local chemical environments. This Review examines the structure-property-activity relationships governing MOF-based catalytic plastic upcycling, with emphasis on active-site chemistry, pore accessibility, adsorption, confinement, diffusion, and polymer-catalyst interactions. The roles of framework architecture and polymer characteristics in determining catalytic activity and product selectivity are discussed. Particular attention is given to the coupled effects of structural descriptors rather than isolated parameters such as surface area or active-site density. This framework provides a basis for rational design of MOF catalysts with improved activity, selectivity, accessibility, and stability for chemical plastic upcycling.

کلیدواژه ها:

Metal-organic frameworks ، Plastic upcycling ، Structure-property- activity relationships ، Reticular design