Incorporation of enzyme-mimic species in porous materials for the construction of porous biomimetic catalysts

Abstract

The unique catalytic properties of natural enzymes have inspired chemists to develop biomimetic catalyst platforms for the intention of retaining the unique functions and solving the application limitations of enzymes, such as high costs, instability and unrecyclable ability. Porous materials possess unique advantages for the construction of biomimetic catalysts, such as high surface areas, thermal stability, permanent porosity and tunability. These characteristics make them ideal porous matrices for the construction of biomimetic catalysts by immobilizing enzyme-mimic active sites inside porous materials. The developed porous biomimetic catalysts demonstrate high activity, selectivity and stability. In this feature article, we categorize and discuss the recently developed strategies for introducing enzyme-mimic active species inside porous materials, which are based on the type of employed porous materials, including metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), molecular sieves, porous metal silicate (PMS) materials and porous carbon materials. The advantages and limitations of these porous materials-based biomimetic catalysts are discussed, and the challenges and future directions in this field are also highlighted.