Recent Advancement in Natural Gas Storage using Metal-Organic Frameworks

Abstract

The global quest for cleaner energy sources has highlighted the potential of natural gas. Despite its environmental advantages and abundance, challenges such as energy density, cost, and storage methods hinder its broader use. This paper explores these issues, specifically investigating Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) for methane adsorption and storage. MOFs possess high surface area, tunable pore sizes, strong methane affinity, and stability. This paper reviews recent advancement in this field, particularly, the research surrounding adsorbent HKUST-1, a MOF known for its high gravimetric uptake but falling short in volumetric methane adsorption capacity. Through a sol-gel process, a denser, mechanically stable version of HKUST-1 was synthesized, meeting the Department of Energy's standards. Simultaneously, the study developed a production protocol for UiO-66, improving the volumetric methane working capacity by 11%. Additionally, another study demonstrated that composites of HKUST-1 and γ-Al2O3 exhibited superior methane adsorption, thermal stability, and potential for large-scale synthesis. These advancements in MOFs present the possibility of efficient methane storage, pushing towards wider natural gas adoption, reducing reliance on traditional fossil fuels, and promoting a cleaner, sustainable energy future.