Cooling effect discovered in breathing MOFs

By Fernando Gomollón-Bel2022-04-29T08:30:00

A close-up photo of a plastic fridge thermometer that shows a temperature close to 0C. In the background, an open fridge shows shelves filled with food.

Source: © Getty Images

Materials with breathing-caloric effect could replace fluorinated hydrocarbon refrigerants

Adsorbing carbon dioxide into certain metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) could provide greener alternatives for refrigeration. Juan Manuel Bermúdez García and co-workers at the University of Coruña, Spain, have discovered that some MOFs can cool down their environment as they ‘breathe out’ CO₂ . The thermal changes are big enough to meet the most critical industrial cooling requirements.