Water Vapor Adsorption by Porous Materials: From Chemistry to Practical Applications

In recent years, the deployment of chemically stable physisorbents in various water sorption-related applications has received significant attention. Depending on their structural features, different types of porous sorbents manifest distinct shapes of water sorption isotherms. The translation of water sorption profiles of adsorbents into appropriate practical applications is yet to be established. This Review gives an overview of the water adsorption studies conducted on different hydrolytically stable porous solids selected from different classes of solid-state materials (organic, inorganic, and hybrid materials). Brief analyses of the water sorption behavior and the relations to materials' intrinsic structural features are made. Based on adsorbents' observed water sorption characteristics, the prospects of their practical/commercial deployment in chosen sectors are also commented. The criteria for using porous adsorbents in specific water-related technologies, which can help guide the design and assembly of suitable water adsorbents, are also reviewed. In addition, the challenges that need to be overcome in developing efficient water vapor adsorbents for a given application are also discussed.