Large-Scale Production of Metal–Organic Frameworks

Abstract

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) show captivating performances in many large-scale applications including gas adsorption and separation, heat reallocation, water production, or remediation which can overcome important drawbacks of the conventionally used porous materials in the industry. This raises, therefore, the commercial interest in MOFs which brings the necessity to decrease the cost of their production, calling for the synthesis optimization from small-scale to large-scale. However, the commercial availability, yet very limited, is highly dependent on their production cost. Thus, to promote the commercial development and availability of MOFs, many steps can be taken. In this work, the state-of-art of the large-scale production of MOFs can be first outlined, before discussing the criteria of greener MOF synthesis processes. Besides, a critical evaluation of the available synthesis routes for large-scale production can be given, taking into consideration their cost, environmental impact, safety, and feasibility. Moreover, since there are strong limitations to the use in the powder form, the shaping procedures can thus be discussed briefly to outline the prospects of MOFs for different industrial applications. Finally, yet importantly, the perspective for MOFs commercialization can be highlighted with an emphasis on the necessity of techno-economic analyses and life-cycle assessments.