Green aspects of luminescent metal organic frameworks as sensors for hazardous gases and volatile organic compounds

Toxic and hazardous gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) pose significant risks to human health and environmental safety, necessitating the development of sensitive, selective, and sustainable detection strategies. Luminescent metal–organic frameworks (LMOFs) have emerged as promising sensing materials due to their tunable structures, high surface areas, and versatile photophysical properties. This review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of LMOF-based sensors reported between 2010 and 2025, with particular emphasis on recent advances (2020–2025). In contrast to earlier reviews that primarily focus on material design or individual sensing mechanisms, this work discusses luminescence modulation mechanisms including electron transfer, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), lanthanide sensitization, and the practical sensing performance. Recent developments in material design are discussed, highlighting the role of ligand functionalization, metal-node selection, and guest incorporation in controlling sensitivity and selectivity. Representative applications in detecting aromatic and aliphatic VOCs, toxic industrial gases, and chemical warfare agent simulants are critically evaluated, with emphasis on detection limits, mechanisms, and real-world applicability. In addition, the Green–Blue–Red–White (GBRW) framework is discussed to assess LMOF-based sensors in terms of sustainability, practicality, and analytical performance, enabling a holistic comparison of reported methods. Key challenges, including limited selectivity under complex conditions, environmental stability, and scalability, are discussed. Future perspectives focus on bridging the gap between laboratory studies and practical deployment through greener synthesis strategies, device integration, and advanced data analysis approaches.