Gas–Responsive Metal–Organic Frameworks for Adaptive Thermal Energy Storage with Tunable Charge–Discharge Temperatures

Authors:
Open Access
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
One of the major challenges for thermal energy storage (TES) systems based on phase change materials (PCMs)─a key technology for energy decarbonization─is achieving dynamical tunability of their charge and discharge temperatures (Tcharge, Tdischarge). This capability would enable a single material to operate effectively across varying ambient conditions (e.g., different times of day, seasons, or climates) without requiring the use of multiple TES materials. In this work, we present a gas-responsive TES solution based on breathing caloric MOFs, particularly MOF-508b, in which transition temperatures can be widely tuned from −30 to 120 °C (243 to 393 K) by adjusting the surrounding CO2 pressure from 5 to 25 bar under isobaric conditions. More importantly, we demonstrate that this method allows precise control over the thermal hysteresis (|Tcharge – Tdischarge|) and can even reverse the transition temperatures (Tcharge < Tdischarge), which could be highly advantageous for temperature-driven TES applications. These findings pave the way for adaptive thermal technologies in which a single material can respond to different ambient temperatures and diverse storage needs, from cold storage to medium–high-temperature applications. We anticipate that this gas-responsive behavior is not exclusive to MOF-508b and encourage the exploration of other materials exhibiting similar tunable characteristics for adaptive TES applications.
Funding Information
  • Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (PID2021-122532OB-I00)
  • Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (RYC2021-033040-I)
  • Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria, Xunta de Galicia (ED431C 2022/39)
  • Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria, Xunta de Galicia (ED431F 2023/33)
  • Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria, Xunta de Galicia (ED481A-2023)
  • Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria, Xunta de Galicia (ED481B-2024)
  • UDC-Inditex InTalent Programme

This publication has 36 references indexed in Scilit: