From the benchtop to the pilot plant: Making headway in the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly functional porous sorbent materials that have benefitted from over twenty years of intense academic research. The major focus of MOF research has been the development of new materials with interesting structures, chemical compositions, and optimal functionality. As the emphasis on green chemistry has intensified over the years, the focus of this research has, nonetheless, shifted towards developing more energy and cost-efficient MOF manufacture. Recently, the commercialization of the first applications using MOFs have fuelled this effort to develop cheap and safe methods to synthesize high-quality MOF materials. Here we summarize the recent developments in MOF industrialization, and highlight current players in the landscape of MOF manufacture.