The world is in a constant quest for innovative solutions to combat rising carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels. Carbon capture technologies have gained immense traction in this regard, offering a viable route to significantly mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

novoMOF has emerged a leader in this field with its novel, solid sorbents—Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)—for point-source carbon capture. The company’s journey started in 2017 as a spinoff from ETH Zurich and the Paul Scherrer Institute. Initially, novoMOF operated as a production company for a new generation of progressive materials for various market applications. However, the significant surge in demand for CO₂ capture drove it to this specific direction.

Today, the company has become the perfect partner for businesses that want to decarbonize their operations, primarily driven by environmental concerns and economic considerations. From the selection and optimization of active MOF materials to its manufacturing and seamless integration into applications, novoMOF has the capability to help clients throughout the journey.

The company acknowledges that the dominant method for point-source CO₂ capture is Amine Scrubbing, which comes with a price tag of $100 or more per ton of CO₂. However, many industries hesitate to adopt this method due to its high energy consumption, toxicity, and the complex infrastructure required. novoMOF's material technology not only matches this cost but also has the potential to undercut it, offering a more efficient and environmentally friendly solution for CO₂ capture.

“Players across various industries approach us. They evaluated amine scrubbing and concluded it's not suitable for their needs. They turn to us in search of alternatives, recognizing MOFs as an emerging technology for carbon capture,” says Daniel Steitz, CEO and founder, novoMOF.

novoMOF’s material requires minimal energy and operates within a simpler system architecture. In every capture cycle, they can capture 10 percent of their weight in CO₂. A fascinating aspect of these materials is their selectivity for CO₂ over water. They capture CO₂ even in the presence of water vapor, eliminating the need for pre-drying gas streams.

The regeneration temperature is also incredibly low—below 100 degrees Celsius—which allows for efficient CO₂ release. Low-grade heat sources, such as waste heat from other on-site processes, can be utilized, potentially offsetting additional energy costs. In addition, the required regeneration energy is minimal compared to amine-based systems. This is possible due to the weak interactions between CO₂ and the MOF surface.

One of novoMOF's biggest differentiators is its ability to produce MOFs in large quantities, up to ton-scale and beyond, without compromising on their quality or performance. The company uses a wide range of analytical techniques to ensure that its MOFs are of high quality. These include powder X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy, particle size analysis, gas sorption measurements, and breakthrough analysis.

The MOF materials and their scalable production recipes are developed internally by novoMOF’s expert technology team. Internal work and development ensure that the quality of materials is preserved even on a large scale. In one example, the CO₂ uptake capacity was improved by 30 percent through production optimization achieved by novoMOF.

Players across various industries turn to us in search of alternatives, recognizing MOFs as an emerging technology for carbon capture

Dr. Charles Toft, the CTO at novoMOF as well as a distinguished chemist with a PhD in chemistry and extensive experience in MOF research, leads the technical team of the company. It includes Dr. Anna Chomiak, application engineer, Dr. Ewa Banach, materials specialist, and Oliver Maurer, lab and production specialist. On the commercial front, novoMOF has a dynamic team spearheaded by Steitz. The capabilities of the in-house team are complemented by the company’s partnerships with leading MOF researchers across academia.

“We offer Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) as a versatile platform technology, empowering various industries to harness the benefits of these revolutionary materials,” says Steitz.

novoMOF is the most reliable partner for businesses aiming to expand their MOF operations. Over the years, it has been honored with numerous awards; recent ones being Deep Tech Pioneer by Hello Tomorrow and Forbes 30 under 30 Europe. The company's years of industry expertise and commitment to providing excellent client support have positioned it as the preferred choice for any future MOF-related projects.