Enhanced regenerability of metal-organic frameworks adsorbents: Influence factors and improved methods

Metal-Organic frameworks (MOFs) have been the next-generation adsorbent for industrial production and environmental decontamination. However, enhancing the regenerability of MOFs is a bottleneck to achieving their commercialization and industrialization. In this review, a series of standards, such as cycle stability, desorption rate, and regenerative condition, which could comprehensively evaluate the regenerability of MOFs, was adopted. The influenced factors that determine the regenerability of MOFs are concluded, including structural stability, diffusion ability, coordination strength, and thermo-conductivity. Moreover, the classical and novel studies focusing on upgrading the regenerability of MOFs are also summarized, such as enhancing the rigidity of frameworks, accelerating the desorption rate, or decreasing the energy investment. This review will provide guidelines for designing and modifying MOFs adsorbent with superior regenerability. It could also supply theoretical support for investigating the desorption behavior of MOFs. The overall improvements in MOFs’ regenerability mainly base on upgrading the physical properties of MOFs and easing the condition of regeneration on MOFs adsorbents. The strategies on these issues could be divided into four parts: constructing stable pore structure, improving diffusion ability, weakening the coordination strength, and upgrading the conductivity of MOFs. ● Adsorption and separation technologies are of significance in environmental decontamination and chemical industrial ● MOFs have been deemed as potential adsorbents but limited by their regenerability ● The structural properties and surface affinity mainly affect the visibility of MOFs’ regeneration ● The strategies on improving the regenerability of MOFs include in-situ design and post synthetic modification ● The modified MOFs adsorbents could effectively remove target molecular with high regeneration under practical application