Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have long been known as a class of one-dimensional carbon nanomaterials with sp²-hybridized structures that can be constructed with a very large length-to-diameter ratio, which is significantly larger than that of any other carbon nanomaterials. It is well known that CNTs exhibit many excellent properties in mechanics, electricity, chemistry, optics, etc., and are widely used in various fields, thus attracting scientists’ attention. In this context, the development of new strategies for optimizing and synthesizing CNTs has far-reaching significance and demand. On the other hand, most metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are microporous crystals constructed from ordered and uniform metal ions/clusters and organic linkers to obtain crystalline solids with potential porosity. Using MOF materials as precursors, hierarchical CNT-based composite materials, which are difficult to synthesize through the traditional catalyst-assisted chemical vapor deposition method, can be conveniently synthesized by thermal treatment at high temperature. In the process of converting MOFs into CNTs, MOF crystals are used as both catalysts and carbon sources, which are necessary for the growth of CNTs, and they are also used as templates and/or carriers for additional catalysts. Therefore, there are various possibilities for the thermal conversion of MOFs into CNT-based composite materials. In this review, we mainly summarize the two aspects of catalysts and synthetic strategies for MOF-derived CNT-based composite materials. Despite the rapid development in this area, there is still much space for exploration. In order to accurately control the synthesis of CNTs, we should deeply explore the thermal conversion process and mechanism for the conversion of MOFs into CNTs.

Amongst various porous materials, noble metal aerogels attract wide attention due to their concurrently featured catalytic properties and large surface areas. However, insufficient understanding and investigation of key factors (e.g. reductants and ligands) in the fabrication process limits on-target design, impeding material diversity and available applications. Herein, unveiling multiple roles of reductants, we develop an efficient method, i.e. the excessive-reductant-directed gelation strategy. It enables to integrate ligand chemistry for creating gold aerogels with a record-high specific surface area (59.8 m² g⁻¹), and to expand the composition to all common noble metals. Moreover, we demonstrate impressive electrocatalytic performance of these aerogels for the ethanol oxidation and oxygen evolution reaction, and discover an unconventional organic-ligand-enhancing effect. The present work not only enriches the composition and structural diversity of noble metal aerogels, but also opens up new dimensions for devising efficient electrocatalysts for broad material systems.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have become popular precursors for the construction of porous carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) with inherited characteristics and advantages, showing great potential in environment and energy applications.

Specific ion effects are demonstrated to create and flexibly manipulate noble metal aerogels for versatile applications.

Noble‐metal aerogels (NMAs) have drawn increasing attention because of their self‐supported conductive networks, high surface areas, and numerous optically/catalytically active sites, enabling their impressive performance in diverse fields. However, the fabrication methods suffer from tedious procedures, long preparation times, unavoidable impurities, and uncontrolled multiscale structures, discouraging their developments. By utilizing the self‐healing properties of noble‐metal aggregates, the freezing‐promoted salting‐out behavior, and the ice‐templating effect, a freeze–thaw method is crafted that is capable of preparing various hierarchically structured noble‐metal gels within one day without extra additives. In light of their cleanliness, the multi‐scale structures, and combined catalytic/optical properties, the electrocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic performance of NMAs are demonstrated, which surpasses that of commercial noble‐metal catalysts.

By developing a disturbance-assisted dynamic shelling strategy, core–shell structured Au–Pd gels/aerogels are rapidly fabricated, offering robust and highly selective (CO selectivity >99%) electrocatalysts for CO₂reduction.