MOFs Meet the Target for Mopping Up Methane

摘要

Beneath the Appalachian mountains in the United States is one of the world's great gas fields, as yet undeveloped. The methane gas it contains could act as a transport fuel, and indeed in some countries compressed natural gas, which is mainly methane, is used as fuel for various forms of transport, including cars. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) would also like to promote it as a vehicle fuel, ideally by absorbing it into an inert material so that it can be stored at normal temperatures and pressures. The DOE has set a target ratio for such a material of 180, in other words the absorbing system must store a volume of methane 180 times larger than its own volume. This would be almost like storing liquid methane.