About Reticular Materials: The Building Blocks of Advanced Sustainability

At their core, reticular materials are highly structured, porous frameworks that can capture, store, and release molecules. This is achieved through their immense surface areas and strong bonds formed at the atomic level. To illustrate the scale, just one gram of a typical MOF can have a surface area equivalent to a soccer field. This vast surface area, folded within the material’s intricate internal structure, allows for extraordinary storage capacity—whether for water vapor, gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂), or other molecules. MOFs and COFs are among the most well-known reticular materials, but the field includes a broad range of advanced structures designed for various applications.

MOFs and COFs are two key classes of reticular materials, each with distinct characteristics:

• MOFs (Metal-Organic Frameworks): MOFs are materials constructed by joining metal-containing units, termed secondary building units (SBUs), with organic linkers using strong bonds to create open crystalline frameworks with permanent porosity. MOFs are especially suited for applications requiring high chemical selectivity, such as carbon capture, where they can differentiate CO₂ molecules from other gases.

• COFs (Covalent Organic Frameworks): COFs are porous, crystalline, extended solids constructed from molecular organic building units composed of light elements and joined by covalent bonds. Their organic nature often makes them more chemically stable than many materials, making them well suited for applications in water purification and gas storage.

Both MOFs and COFs are designed with precision to meet the demands of a wide range of applications. The modularity of reticular materials enables scientists to tailor their properties for different uses by altering the components, giving them versatility unmatched by traditional materials.

Reticular materials are not just limited to environmental applications; their versatility extends across multiple industries. For example, MOFs and COFs have been applied in fields ranging from energy storage to drug delivery and catalysis. In energy storage, their large surface area and porosity allow for the efficient capture and release of hydrogen and methane, making them ideal for use in fuel cells and industrial gas storage. In the pharmaceutical industry, reticular materials are being explored for controlled drug delivery systems, where their precise molecular structure can be used to release medications over time or in response to specific triggers.

Additionally, reticular materials are used in catalysis as reusable platforms to accelerate chemical reactions. Their tunable chemistry enables them to support reactions that require highly specific conditions, enhancing efficiency in everything from industrial manufacturing to environmental cleanup. The ability to design these reticular frameworks with atomic precision also opens new doors for sensor technology, air filtration, and even artificial photosynthesis.

One of the most critical applications of reticular materials lies in Atmospheric Water Harvesting (AWH). This technology leverages the unique properties of reticular materials to extract water from air, even in low-humidity environments. Traditional water capture methods, such as condensation-based systems, require significant energy and are often limited to humid regions. However, the water sorbents developed through reticular chemistry can operate efficiently in areas with less than 20% relative humidity, providing a much-needed solution to water scarcity in arid and drought-affected regions.

Atoco’s AWH systems are designed to be both energy-efficient and sustainable. These systems can operate off-grid with minimal carbon footprints by harnessing ambient heat – such as solar heat or residual geothermal energy. Within these systems, reticular materials serve as molecular sponges, adsorbing water vapor from the air and releasing it upon heating. This cycle can be repeated with minimal energy input, offering a low-maintenance and scalable solution for every water need from individual use to large-scale community projects.

Another key advantage of these systems is their scalability. Whether for small agricultural applications or larger municipal projects, AWH units leveraging reticular chemistry can be tailored to meet diverse water needs. This flexibility makes them an ideal solution for regions suffering from water stress, including desert communities and rapidly urbanizing areas facing resource constraints.

In addition to addressing water scarcity, reticular materials are playing a transformative role in carbon capture technologies, whether it’s for Point Source Capture or Direct Air Capture (DAC). Reticular materials are solid sorbents and are ideal for capturing CO₂ due to their high surface area and customizable pore functionality. These materials can selectively trap carbon dioxide from other gases, making the capture process highly efficient.

The key innovation in Atoco’s carbon capture technology lies in the energy efficiency of reticular materials. The materials are designed to bond strongly enough with CO₂ molecules for effective capture but not so strongly that excessive energy is needed for release. This balance reduces the energy demands of the carbon capture process, making it more cost-effective and scalable for industrial applications.

In addition, Atoco’s reticular materials are highly resistant to humidity and pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx), which are commonly found in the flue gases of industrial facilities. Their chemical stability ensures they maintain their structural integrity and performance even in harsh industrial environments, where traditional carbon capture methods may struggle. As a result, Atoco’s reticular materials offer an extended lifetime, reducing the need for frequent replacements and lowering overall maintenance costs. This robustness makes Atoco’s technology particularly well-suited for integration into industries with high pollutant levels, such as power generation and manufacturing.

Also, Atoco’s carbon capture solutions are highly versatile. They can be integrated into existing industrial infrastructure or deployed as stand-alone systems for capturing carbon directly from the air. Whether used in power plants, manufacturing facilities, or urban environments, these systems offer a sustainable and scalable path toward reducing global carbon emissions.

As the industry looks for breakthroughs to make carbon capture more efficient and cost-effective, these cutting-edge materials represent a promising path forward. The respondents to Atoco’s recent survey of carbon capture OEMs expressed this, emphasizing the potential of reticular materials to drive future innovation in the sector.

Professor Omar Yaghi’s development of reticular chemistry has unlocked new frontiers in sustainability. The ability to design materials with atomic precision allows for innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including water scarcity and climate change. Atoco’s AWH and carbon capture technologies are just two examples of how reticular materials are reshaping the landscape of climate technologies.

As the world moves toward a greener future, the potential applications of reticular chemistry continue to grow. From energy storage to medical applications, the versatility of these materials ensures that they will remain at the forefront of technological innovation for decades to come. Atoco’s vision of harnessing the air around us—both for water and carbon capture—offers a compelling blueprint for building a more sustainable, resilient future.

Atoco is a leader in climate technology and was founded by Professor Omar Yaghi, the inventor of Reticular Chemistry. Atoco utilizes reticular materials such as Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) to develop breakthrough solutions for carbon capture and atmospheric water harvesting. These technologies, designed with atomic precision, are engineered to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges: climate change and water scarcity.

Atoco’s solid-state PCC and DAC technologies tackle the challenges of carbon capture by using highly efficient reticular materials. This approach allows for reduced energy consumption and scalable deployment across industries, making it a vital tool in addressing global carbon emissions and fighting climate change.