A multifunctional photovoltaic-MOFs system for synergistic electrical generation and air dehumidification applied in Nanjing

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as a star desiccant material, have limited practical application due to the regeneration energy demand. The generated photovoltaic (PV) heat can drive the regeneration. While PV cells can achieve nighttime radiative cooling due to their high surface atmospheric window emissivity. Thus, we proposed a synergistic PV-MOF system where PV heat drives MOF regeneration, and PV radiative cooling enhances MOF dehumidification, which has not been reported. We investigated the adsorption and regeneration performance of MOFs, achieving a moisture uptake of 0.69 g/g at 80 %RH and 25 °C, with complete regeneration at 80 °C. A PV-MOF device was designed and tested under simulated day-night conditions. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The PV temperature decreased by 14.5 °C, increasing power generation density by 40.1 % under 1000 W/m2. The MOF adsorption capacity improved from 1.72 g/g to 1.9 g/g (10.5 % increase) due to radiative cooling. (2) Full-day experiments demonstrated a 36 % rise in power density and a reduction in average humidity from 59.2 % to 53.6 %. (3) A verified thermal-electrical-dehumidification model indicated that a PV-MOF roof maintained an average efficiency of 16.9 % and achieved a 10 %–15 % reduction in indoor humidity over three days in Nanjing.