Synthetic Aspects and Characterization Needs in MOF Chemistry – from Discovery to Applications

Even if MOFs are recently developed for large-scale applications, the road to applications of MOFs is long and rocky. This requires to overcome challenges associated with phase discovery, synthesis optimization, basic and advanced characterization, and computational studies. Lab-scale results need to be transferred to large-scale processes, which is often not trivial, and life-cycle analyses and techno-economic analyses need to be performed to realistically assess their potential for industrial relevance. Based on the experience in the field of stable, functional MOFs combining advanced synthesis, characterization, and modeling, this mini-review gives recommendations especially for non-specialists, for example, from chemical engineers to medical doctors, to accelerate and facilitate knowledge transfer which will ultimately lead to the application of MOFs. The recommendations will include the reporting of synthesis and characterization data as well as standardization and detailed information required for the application of data mining and machine learning techniques, which are increasingly used to accelerate the discovery of new materials and data analysis. Once a suitable MOF is identified and its key properties determined, translational studies shall finally be carried out in collaboration with end-users to validate performance under real conditions and allow understanding of the processes involved.