The review focuses on recent developments in the synthetic methodologies of COFs and their applications in the field of organocatalysis, electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. Future scope of COFs in the field are also described.

In the last few decades, the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the environment has caused havoc across the globe. One of the most promising strategies for fixation of CO2 is the cycloaddition reaction between epoxides and CO2 to produce cyclic carbonates. For the first time, we have fabricated copper-based magnetic nanocatalyst and have applied for the CO2 fixation. The prepared catalyst was thoroughly characterized using various techniques including XRD, FT-IR, TEM, FE-SEM, XPS, VSM, ICP-OES and elemental mapping. The reactions proceeded at atmospheric pressure, relatively lower temperature, short reaction time, solvent- less and organic halide free reaction conditions. Additionally, the ease of recovery through an external magnet, reusability of the catalyst and excellent yields of the obtained cyclic carbonates make the present protocol practical and sustainable.

A magnetically retrievable, efficient, and benign maghemite‐Cu nanocatalyst was synthesized from inexpensive precursors and applied for C−O, C−N, and C−S bond‐formation reactions. The obtained maghemite‐Cu nanocatalyst was characterized by various techniques such as XRD, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field‐emission gun SEM with energy‐dispersive spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, TEM, high‐angle annular dark‐field scanning transmission electron microscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Excellent catalytic activity, ease of recovery, and reusability without a significant loss of yield make the present protocol highly sustainable to deal with industrial and environmental concerns.

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