Adsorption

Engineering

Heat transfer

Materials science

Humidity

Desiccant

Chemical engineering

Mechanical engineering

Thermodynamics

Physics

Organic chemistry

Metal-organic framework

Process engineering

Environmental science

Composite material

Chemistry

Air conditioning

Chemical Engineering Journal

Higher than a standard level, the humidity provides a suitable environment for the pathogenic microorganisms to grow and increases energy consumption for cooling, increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Desiccant air-conditioning (DAC) is an effective method to reduce humidity and energy simultaneously. Conventional desiccants are not suitable for use as a desiccant in building air conditioners, mainly because of high regeneration temperature and other issues such as limited equilibrium capacity and hydrothermal and cyclic instability. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a novel class of porous crystalline materials without the disadvantages of traditional desiccants. They benefit from a huge surface area and considerable pore-volume, very low framework density, and a high-water uptake capacity. In this review article, we have critically and comprehensively discussed the use of MOFs in heat transformation and air conditioning processes. The reasons for the superiority of MOFs over traditional desiccant materials are also discussed comprehensively. Moreover, since thermal conductivity is a key factor in the heat transfer process, an overview has been made on techniques of measuring the thermal conductivity of MOFs. Eventually, several state-of-the-art MOF-based heat transformation applications are reviewed, including heat storage, heat pumps and different desiccant dehumidifiers.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOF) based heat transfer: A comprehensive review