Metal substitution of molecular sieve systems is a major
driving
force in developing novel catalytic processes to meet current demands
of green chemistry concepts and to achieve sustainability in the chemical
industry and in other aspects of our everyday life. The advantages
of metal-substituted molecular sieves include high surface areas,
molecular sieving effects, confinement effects, and active site and
morphology variability and stability. The present review aims to comprehensively
and critically assess recent advances in the area of tetra- (Ti, Sn,
Zr, Hf) and pentavalent (V, Nb, Ta) metal-substituted molecular sieves,
which are mainly characterized for their Lewis acidic active sites.
Metal oxide molecular sieve materials with properties similar to those
of zeolites and siliceous molecular sieve systems are also discussed,
in addition to relevant studies on metal–organic frameworks
(MOFs) and some composite MOF systems. In particular, this review
focuses on (i) synthesis aspects determining active site accessibility
and local environment; (ii) advances in active site characterization
and, importantly, quantification; (iii) selective redox and isomerization
reaction applications; and (iv) photoelectrocatalytic applications.