Low-concentration CO2 capture using metal–organic frameworks – current status and future perspectives

• Published in: Dalton transactions : an international journal of inorganic chemistry Vol. 52; no. 7; pp. 1841 - 1856
• Main Authors: Åhlén, Michelle, Cheung, Ocean, Xu, Chao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Royal Society of Chemistry 14.02.2023
• Subjects: Alternative energy; Carbon dioxide; Carbon dioxide concentration; Carbon sequestration; Fossil fuels; Metal-organic frameworks; Sorbents
• ISSN: 1477-9226; 1477-9234
• DOI: 10.1039/d2dt04088c

The ever-increasing atmospheric CO2 level is considered to be the major cause of climate change. Although the move away from fossil fuel-based energy generation to sustainable energy sources would significantly reduce the release of CO2 into the atmosphere, it will most probably take time to be fully implemented on a global scale. On the other hand, capturing CO2 from emission sources or directly from the atmosphere are robust approaches that can reduce the atmospheric CO2 concentration in a relatively short time. Here, we provide a perspective on the recent development of metal–organic framework (MOF)-based solid sorbents that have been investigated for application in CO2 capture from low-concentration (<10 000 ppm) CO2 sources. We summarized the different sorbent engineering approaches adopted by researchers, both from the sorbent development and processing viewpoints. We also discuss the immediate challenges of using MOF-based CO2 sorbents for low-concentration CO2 capture. MOF-based materials, with tuneable pore properties and tailorable surface chemistry, and ease of handling, certainly deserve continued development into low-cost, efficient CO2 sorbents for low-concentration CO2 capture.