Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based adsorbents for efficient removal of antibiotic pollutants from water

Antibiotics in aquatic environments pose serious risks to ecosystems and human health due to their continuous release from pharmaceutical industries, hospitals, and urban wastewater. Their presence promotes antimicrobial resistance, bioaccumulation, and toxic effects, highlighting the urgent need for efficient and sustainable treatment technologies. Among the available treatment methods, adsorption has emerged as an effective and cost-efficient approach for antibiotic removal due to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and applicability in large-scale water treatment systems. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as promising adsorbents for antibiotic removal due to their high surface area, tunable porosity, abundant active sites, and versatile structures. This review discusses the synthesis, modification, adsorption mechanisms, and performance of MOF-based adsorbents for antibiotic removal from water. The effects of key operational parameters and the major challenges related to regeneration, stability, scalability, and practical application are critically evaluated. In addition, recent advances in MOF-based multifunctional materials and integrated adsorption–degradation systems are highlighted for their enhanced treatment efficiency. Finally, future perspectives are proposed to support the development of sustainable and high-performance MOF-based adsorbents for water treatment applications.