Metal–Organic Frameworks and Their Derivatives as Catalysts for Converting Biomass, Lipid and Waste-Plastic Feedstocks into Sustainable Aviation Fuel: A Mini-Review of Experimental Studies (2017–2026)

Abstract

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is the main near-term option for decarbonising aviation, but most conversion routes require catalysts that combine metal, acid and/or base functions while tolerating water, coke and bulky molecules. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) offer tunable nodes, linkers and pores, and can also be pyrolysed into highly dispersed metal/carbon or metal-oxide catalysts. This mini-review maps 29 experimental studies published between 2017 and 2026 that used pristine MOFs, MOF hybrids or MOF-derived materials to produce SAF-range hydrocarbons or their precursors. Five routes were identified: C–C coupling of furanic platform molecules (9 studies), deoxygenation and cracking of lipids and fatty acid methyl esters (10), hydrogenation/hydrodeoxygenation of cyclic oxygenates, terpenes and lignin models (4), upcycling of waste plastics (4) and Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (2). MOF-derived materials dominated (17 studies), followed by pristine MOFs (6) and MOF hybrids (6). Best-case performances were high, including ≈100% furfural conversion and adduct selectivity over defect-engineered UiO-66(Zr), 82–84% jet-range selectivity from methyl palmitate over Ni-MOF-based catalysts, 96% p-menthane over MIL-101-SO₃H⁺ Pd/C, and 75.2% C8–C16 selectivity in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. Standardised reporting, long-duration tests with real feedstocks, fair benchmarking, and scalable MOF synthesis are key priorities.