Dual-template synthesis of SFO-type aluminophosphate with enhanced water-sorption-driven cooling performance

• Published in: Heliyon 2024-05, Vol.10 (9), p.e30744-e30744, Article e30744
• Main Authors: Jin, Qunzheng, Xu, Min, Liu, Zhangli, Huai, Xiulan, Wang, Hailiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adsorption cooling; Aluminophosphates; Dual templates; Water adsorption
• ISSN: 2405-8440; 2405-8440
• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30744

Water-based adsorption chillers (ADC) driven by low-grade thermal energy are environment-friendly alternatives to the traditional compression ones to realize the net zero carbon target. Aluminophosphates molecular sieve (AlPOs) is an excellent material for water-based adsorption applications. However, AlPOs suffers from relatively high cost attributed to the extensive use of expensive structure direct agents (SDAs). This study employed a dual-template method, using cheap organic amine as a dual-template, to synthesize low-cost and excellent adsorbent AlPOs with SFO topology (AlPO-SFO). AlPO-SFO synthesized with dual templates shows high crystallinity, large micropore volume, excellent water uptake, and low regeneration temperature. AlPO-SFO guided by 4-dimethylaminopyridine (4-DMAPy) and diethanolamine (DEOA) molar composition of 0.4 and 0.1 exhibits large microporous volume (0.30 ml g−1), high water uptake (0.26 g g−1 at P/P0 = 0.25) and low regeneration temperature (65 °C). Importantly, this AlPO-SFO exhibits a high coefficient of performance (COP) of 0.89 for cooling at a low driven temperature of 64 °C. The additive amine providing alkaline medium ensures the practical synthesis of AlPO-SFO when expensive 4-DMAPy decreases, endowing the 42 % reduction of the raw material cost. The results provide a cheaper synthesis route of AlPO-SFO, which is conducive to its large-scale production as a distinguished adsorbent for adsorption chillers. •AlPO-SFO with excellent microporosity is obtained by dual-template hydrothermal synthesis and shows excellent water uptake.•AlPO-SFO exhibits low adsorption enthalpy of less than 49 kJ mol−1.•AlPO-SFO synthesized with dual templates exhibits a high COP of 0.89 for cooling at a low driven temperature of 64 °C.•The raw materials cost of AlPO-SFO is reduced by 42 %.