Low-Temperature Rapid Synthesis and Performance of the MIL-100(Fe) Monolithic Adsorbent for Dehumidification

MIL-100(Fe) has been proven to have good hydrothermal stability and high vapor uptake and is considered as a promising dehumidification material. However, reduction of the production cost and assembly of the adsorbent and glass fiber paper substrate into the MIL-100(Fe) monolith are challenging. This work presented a dry gel conversion strategy for the rapid synthesis of the MIL-100(Fe) monolith at low temperatures. The porosity and crystalline phase of the products obtained under different crystallization temperatures and times were carefully studied. XRD and SEM characterization indicated that the MIL-100(Fe) crystal could be conveniently synthesized on the substrate at a low temperature of 50–70 °C and in a short time of 2–6 h. The spherical particles assembled from crystals dispersed evenly and tightly on the glass fiber paper. The synthesized MIL-100(Fe) monolith had a thickness of about 270 μm and a MIL-100(Fe) loading of 77.7%. Dynamic and static water vapor adsorption tests revealed that the monolithic adsorbent obtained at 50 °C for 6 h had the largest vapor saturation adsorption capacity (0.581 g/g) and the fastest adsorption rate. Moreover, the monolith owned a low regeneration temperature (below 80 °C) and a satisfactory cycle stability. Convenient equipment, mild synthetic conditions, low renewable energy consumption, and good performance will promote its application in the rotary dehumidification system.