Abstract: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have a series of features such as large specific surface area, good thermal stability, adjustable aperture size, uniform pore size distribution, and controllable surface modification. In this paper, we present a brief overview of recent studies on MOFs with focus on their advantages in use as a separation medium, and their applications in the analysis of phosphopeptides, antibiotics, food additives and pesticide residues in foods, the separation of organic pollutants, gas adsorption and sensing. In the future, MOFs derived oxides will be used as a stationary phase for the chromatographic separation of biological macromolecules and magnetic MOFs will be used for the separation and extraction of proteins. MOFs will have a bright application prospect in the analysis of food and biological samples.

Key words: metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), separation and enrichment, analysis of food and biological samples