Covalent organic frameworks as highly versatile materials for the removal and electrochemical sensing of organic pollutants

Abstract

The presence of persistent organic compounds in water has become a worldwide issue due to its resistance to natural degradation, inducing its environmental resilience. Therefore, the accumulation in water bodies, soils, and humans produces toxic effects. Also, low levels of organic pollutants can lead to serious human health issues, such as cancer, chronic diseases, thyroid complications, immune system suppression, etc. Therefore, developing efficient and economically viable remediation strategies motivates researchers to delve into novel domains within material science. Moreover, finding approaches to detect pollutants in drinking water systems is vital for safeguarding water safety and security. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are valuable materials constructed through strong covalent interactions between blocked monomers. These materials have tremendous potential in removing and detecting persistent organic pollutants due to their high adsorption capacity, large surface area, tunable porosity, porous structure, and recyclability. This review discusses various synthesis routes for constructing non-functionalized and functionalized COFs and their application in the remediation and electrochemical sensing of persistent organic compounds from contaminated water sources. The development of COF-based materials has some major challenges that need to be addressed for their suitability in the industrial configuration. This review also aims to highlight the importance of COFs in the environmental remediation application with detailed scrutiny of their challenges and outcomes in the current research scenario.

Keywords: Adsorption; Covalent organic frameworks; Electrochemical sensors; Organic pollutants; Wastewater remediation.