Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)

Filters are used in various areas of daily life, yet in many cases their cleaning capacity is limited.

Activated carbon filters are most frequently used as the only porous material. At Fraunhofer ICT, we are working to combine activated carbon with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), to expand the applicability of these filters and improve their performance.

MOFs can be tailored to individual applications, filtering gas emissions from industry, vehicles, and other sources much more effectively. Additionally, they achieve improved filtering of pollutants and odors when used in personal protective equipment.

MOFs constitute a new class of microporous materials that are highly suited for filtering odors and pollutants. They significantly outperform activated carbons or silicates. Both emitted exhaust gases (emissions) and intake air mixtures (immissions) can be filtered precisely according to customers’ specifications. At Fraunhofer ICT, we conduct applied research closely aligned with our customers’ needs.

In the animated video, we showcase the application possibilities of our MOFs.

Find out more about our research with nanoporous materials.