Metal-organic frameworks-promoted detection of hazardous chemicals for anti-terrorism application

Hazardous chemicals, such as explosives and chemical warfare agents, are commonly used during terrorist attacks, which have been threatening the global public safety. Real-time detection of specific hazardous chemicals is thus an important way to prevent terrorist activities but remains a significant technical challenge. In recent years, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been widely studied as promising candidates to achieve highly sensitive and selective detection. In this review, we summarized the most recent research progress on MOF-based sensors for the precise and rapid detection of hazardous chemicals. We provided a general introduction into the various mechanisms for hazardous chemicals detection and the most recent research progress on the detection of various types of hazardous chemicals using MOFs. Finally, current challenges and possible future directions toward practical application were proposed. This review highlights the great premise of MOFs in the field of hazardous chemical detection.