Low‐dimensional metal–organic frameworks (LD MOFs) have attracted increasing attention in recent years, which successfully combine the unique properties of MOFs, e.g., large surface area, tailorable structure, and uniform cavity, with the distinctive physical and chemical properties of LD nanomaterials, e.g., high aspect ratio, abundant accessible active sites, and flexibility. Significant progress has been made in the morphological and structural regulation of LD MOFs in recent years. It is still of great significance to further explore the synthetic principles and dimensional‐dependent properties of LD MOFs. In this review, recent progress in the synthesis of LD MOF‐based materials and their applications are summarized, with an emphasis on the distinctive advantages of LD MOFs over their bulk counterparties. First, the unique physical and chemical properties of LD MOF‐based materials are briefly introduced. Synthetic strategies of various LD MOFs, including 1D MOFs, 2D MOFs, and LD MOF‐based composites, as well as their derivatives, are then summarized. Furthermore, the potential applications of LD MOF‐based materials in catalysis, energy storage, gas adsorption and separation, and sensing are introduced. Finally, challenges and opportunities of this fascinating research field are proposed.

Composites incorporating metal nanoparticles (MNPs) within metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have broad applications in many fields. However, the controlled spatial distribution of the MNPs within MOFs remains a challenge for addressing key issues in catalysis, for example, the efficiency of catalysts due to the limitation of molecular diffusion within MOF channels. Here we report a facile strategy that enables MNPs to be encapsulated into MOFs with controllable spatial localization by using metal oxide both as support to load MNPs and as a sacrificial template to grow MOFs. This strategy is versatile to a variety of MNPs and MOF crystals. By localizing the encapsulated MNPs closer to the surface of MOFs, the resultant MNPs@MOF composites not only exhibit effective selectivity derived from MOF cavities, but also enhanced catalytic activity due to the spatial regulation of MNPs as close as possible to the MOF surface.

A strategy for fabricating a highly compact NiS ₂ /rGO cathode is proposed, achieving both high volumetric and gravimetric energy densities for Ni–Zn batteries.

Zinc-air batteries have recently attracted considerable interest owing to the larger storage capacity and lower cost compared to their lithium-ion counterparts. Electrode catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) play a critical role in the operation of rechargeable zinc-air batteries. Herein, we report a simple and scalable strategy to fabricate porous carbon polyhedra using Zn-doped Co-based zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZnCo-ZIFs) as precursors. Strikingly, Zn doping leads to smaller Co nanoparticles and higher nitrogen content, which in turn enhances the ORR and OER activities of the obtained porous carbon polyhedra. The synergistic effect of the N-doped carbon and cobalt nanoparticles in the composite, the improved conductivity resulting from the high graphitization of carbon, and the large surface area of the porous polyhedral structure resulted in porous carbon polyhedra with excellent ORR and OER electrocatalytic activity in alkaline media. More importantly, air cathodes based on the optimal porous carbon polyhedra further exhibited superior performance to Pt/C catalysts in primary and rechargeable zinc-air batteries.

The coupling of energy-saving small molecule conversion reactions and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in seawater electrolytes can reduce the energy consumption of seawater electrolysis and mitigate chlorine corrosion issues. However, the fabrication of efficient multifunctional catalysts for this promising technology is of great challenge. Herein, a heterostructured catalyst comprising CoP and Ni₂P on nickel foam (CoP/Ni₂P@NF) is reported for hydrazine oxidation (HzOR)-assisted alkaline seawater splitting. The coupling of CoP and Ni₂P optimizes the electronic structure of the active sites and endows excellent electrocatalytic performance for HzOR and HER. Impressively, the two-electrode HzOR-assisted alkaline seawater splitting (OHzS) cell based on the CoP/Ni₂P@NF required only 0.108 V to deliver 100 mA·cm⁻², much lower than 1.695 V for alkaline seawater electrolysis cells. Moreover, the OHzS cell exhibits satisfactory stability over 48 h at a high current density of 500 mA·cm⁻². Furthermore, the CoP/Ni₂P@NF heterostructured catalyst also efficiently catalyzed glucose oxidation, methanol oxidation, and urea oxidation in alkaline seawater electrolytes. This work paves a path for high-performance heterostructured catalyst preparation for energy-saving seawater electrolysis for H₂ production.