Adsorption, separation, and catalytic properties of densified metal-organic frameworks

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are one of the widely investigated materials of 21st century due to their unique properties such as structural tailorability, controlled porosity and crystallinity. These exceptional properties make them promising candidates for various applications including gas adsorption and storage, separation, and catalysis. However, commercial applications of MOFs produced by conventional methods including solvothermal or hydrothermal synthesis are rather limited or restricted because they often produce fine powders. The use of MOF powders for industrial applications often results in pressure drop problems similar to the case with Zeolites. To realize these materials for practical applications, densification of MOFs is routinely employed to form pellets, extrudates or beads to improve the overall density, volumetric adsorption, mechanical and thermal properties. However, the improvements come with some drawbacks such as reduction in overall porosity, surface area, and gravimetric adsorption capacity. Thus, optimizing the properties of densified MOF’s by tuning the packing density is very crucial for realizing these materials for industrial applications. In this review, various methods of densification of MOFs, their properties, and applications are discussed.