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treatment and biomedicine. So, it is important to highlight the challenges related to the industrial-scale
production of MOFs (such as using eco-friendly approaches and improving expiration date).

Outlook
Despite the numerous challenges, MOFs continue to be favored candidates due to their significant
advantages. The large-scale and commercial fabrication procedure of MOFs-based hydrogels with stability
indicates their outstanding potential for industrial manufacture. However, there is a need to develop
sustainable development methods for synthesizing the matrices of MOFs-based hydrogels that ensure
consistent quality. Once economical MOFs-based hydrogels are applied in large quantities at an industrial
scale, it will represent a meaningful milestone in the development of MOF materials.

We hope this review encourages researchers to generate innovative ideas. The variety of MOFs and matrices
within these hydrogels provides endless opportunities for adjusting their functional properties, making
them very promising for a wider range of applications in the future.

Future directions
The future development of MOF-based hydrogels offers many exciting possibilities across various scientific
fields. One critical area for advancement lies in the careful selection of ligands and metal ions. Optimizing
these components can enhance the binding strength between inorganic clusters and coordinating groups,
leading to better stability and performance of hydrogels. This is particularly important in applications that
demand long-term stability or controlled release properties, such as drug delivery or catalysis. Another
promising direction is further research into the structure-performance relationship of MOF-based
hydrogels. Combining this with in situ characterization techniques or other innovative approaches will
provide deeper insights into how structural changes affect the material’s functionality. Understanding these
mechanisms can guide the design of more efficient hydrogels, especially for applications in environmental
remediation, energy storage, or biomedical fields [131-134] . While MOFs such as IRMOF and CPL-MOF have
been underexplored in hydrogel systems, future research could expand their use by developing new green
hydrogel matrices. These could offer more sustainable and environmentally friendly options for industries
[135]
looking to reduce their ecological footprint . In the biomedical realm, there is a shift from purely in vitro
experiments toward in vivo applications. Research is increasingly focusing on understanding the
mechanisms of MOF-based hydrogels in living organisms. This transition is crucial for developing effective
clinical therapies, particularly in wound healing, cancer treatment, and drug delivery systems.

DECLARATIONS
Authors’ contributions
Project administration, conceptualization, investigation, writing - review and editing: Wang B
Investigation, writing - review & editing: Fu H, Shen J, Zhang Y, He J
Writing - original draft: He R

Availability of data and materials
Not applicable.

Financial support and sponsorship
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22102104, 52175550),
Natural Science Foundation of Shenzhen Science and Technology Commission with grant No.
JCYJ20220531103409021, Shenzhen Medical Research Fund (SMRF A2303074), Guangdong Basic and
Applied Basic Research Foundation (2021A1515010672), Specific Research Project of Guangxi for Research
Bases and Talents (2022AC21200), and Shenzhen Science and Technology Foundation with grant No.
JCYJ20190808111407284.