Environmental pollution caused by organic effluents emitted by industry has become a worldwide issue and poses a serious threat to the public and the ecosystem. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), comprising metal-containing clusters and organic bridging ligands, are porous and crystalline materials, possessing fascinating shape and size-dependent properties such as high surface area, abundant active sites, well-defined crystal morphologies, and huge potential for surface functionalization. To date, numerous well designated MOFs have emerged as critical functional materials to solve the growing challenges associated with water environmental issues. Here we present the recent progress of MOF-based materials and their applications in the treatment of organic effluents. Firstly, several traditional and emerging synthesis strategies for MOF composites are introduced. Then, the structural and functional regulations of MOF composites are presented and analyzed. Finally, typical applications of MOF-based materials in treating organic effluents, including chemical, pharmaceutical, textile, and agricultural wastewaters are summarized. Overall, this review is anticipated to tailor design and regulation of MOF-based functional materials for boosting the performance of organic effluent remediation.

Graphene-based nanomaterials have shown wide applications in antimicrobial fields due to their accelerated rate of pathogen resistance and good antimicrobial properties. To apply graphene materials in the antimicrobial test, the graphene materials are usually fabricated as two-dimensional (2D) membranes. In addition, to improve the antimicrobial efficiency, graphene membranes are modified with various functional nanomaterials, such as nanoparticles, biomolecules, polymers, etc. In this review, we present recent advances in the fabrication, functional tailoring, and antimicrobial applications of graphene-based membranes. To implement this goal, we first introduce the synthesis of graphene materials and then the fabrication of 2D graphene-based membranes with potential techniques such as chemical vapor deposition, vacuum filtration, spin-coating, casting, and layer-by-layer self-assembly. Then, we present the functional tailoring of graphene membranes by adding metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, polymers, biopolymers, metal–organic frameworks, etc., with graphene. Finally, we focus on the antimicrobial mechanisms of graphene membranes, and demonstrate typical studies on the use of graphene membranes for antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal applications. It is expected that this work will help readers to understand the antimicrobial mechanism of various graphene-based membranes and, further, to inspire the design and fabrication of functional graphene membranes/films for biomedical applications.

Carbon material-based aerogels (CMBAs) have three-dimensional porous structure, high specific surface area, low density, high thermal stability, good electric conductivity, and abundant surface-active sites, and, therefore, have shown great application potential in energy storage, environmental remediation, electrochemical catalysis, biomedicine, analytical science, electronic devices, and others. In this work, we present recent progress on the fabrication, structural design, functional tailoring, and gas adsorption applications of CMBAs, which are prepared by precursor materials, such as polymer-derived carbon, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, graphene, graphene-like carbides, fullerenes, and carbon dots. To achieve this aim, first we introduce the fabrication methods of various aerogels, and, then, discuss the strategies for regulating the structures of CMBAs by adjusting the porosity and periodicity. In addition, the hybridization of CMBAs with other nanomaterials for enhanced properties and functions is demonstrated and discussed through presenting the synthesis processes of various CMBAs. After that, the adsorption performances and mechanisms of functional CMBAs towards CO₂, CO, H₂S, H₂, and organic gases are analyzed in detail. Finally, we provide our own viewpoints on the possible development directions and prospects of this promising research topic. We believe this work is valuable for readers to understand the synthesis methods and functional tailoring of CMBAs, and, meanwhile, to promote the applications of CMBAs in environmental analysis and safety monitoring of harmful gases.

Designing functional membranes through the collaboration of multi-dimensional nanomaterials is of particular interest in environmental and biomedical applications. Herein, we propose a facile and green synthetic strategy by collaborating with graphene oxide (GO), peptides, and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to synthesize functional hybrid membranes with favourable antibacterial effects. GO nanosheets are functionalized with self-assembled peptide nanofibers (PNFs) to form GO/PNFs nanohybrids, in which the PNFs not only improve the biocompatibility and dispersity of GO, but also provide more active sites for growing and anchoring AgNPs. As a result, multifunctional GO/PNFs/AgNP hybrid membranes with adjustable thickness and AgNP density are prepared via the solvent evaporation technique. The structural morphology of the as-prepared membranes is characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and their properties are analyzed by spectral methods. The hybrid membranes are then subjected to antibacterial experiments and their excellent antibacterial performances are demonstrated.