MIL-96 (Al): The Moisture-Tolerant CO₂ Capture MOF, Now Manufactured in Indonesia

Most CO₂-capturing MOFs share the same weakness: their performance collapses the moment water vapor is present, and real-world industrial flue gas is almost always humid. MIL-96(Al) does the opposite. Research testing this material at relative humidity levels up to 40% found that at a moderate 10% RH, its affinity for CO₂ actually increases, because water and CO₂ fill different pore cavities within its structure rather than competing for the same space. MIL-96(Al) is an aluminum-based MOF with a level of structural complexity rarely found in other MOFs: each chemical formula unit contains 14 aluminum atoms forming a giant oxide cluster, linked by trimesic acid (1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate), the same ligand used in Cu-BTC, but producing a far more intricate and varied pore geometry.

Research labs in Indonesia have typically had to import MOFs with fully formed aluminum clusters and genuinely functional dual pore chemistry. It's precisely that pore chemistry variation that keeps MIL-96 effective at capturing CO₂ even in the presence of water vapor, not just the surface area printed on a spec sheet. That's starting to change.

ITNANO (CV. Inovasi Teknologi Nano), based at the NRE Lab in Medan, is Indonesia's first private nanomaterials research startup manufacturing MIL-96(Al) locally. Here's what MIL-96 actually is, why its cluster complexity matters, and where it's being used in research and industry today.

What Is MIL-96 (Al)?

MIL-96 is built from aluminum oxide clusters that are far larger and more complex than those found in most other MOFs, which typically have only one to three metal atoms per node. These giant clusters are linked by trimesic acid ligands, forming a framework with two chemically distinct types of pore cavities: some are hydrophilic and tend to adsorb water first, while others are less hydrophilic and prefer CO₂ molecules. This combination of two pore types is exactly what gives MIL-96 its resistance to humidity.

Cluster complexity is the biggest factor in MIL-96's performance, because forming a large aluminum cluster correctly is far harder to control than forming the simple metal nodes found in most other MOFs. Suboptimal synthesis can produce incomplete clusters, blurring the chemical distinction between its two pore types and, in the process, erasing the material's main advantage: selectively capturing CO₂ even in the presence of water. ITNANO's MIL-96(Al) has a chemical formula of C₅₄H₂₃Al₁₄O₆₃, with a molecular weight of 2,057.46 g/mol, and takes the form of a white powder, a specification that reflects this material's characteristic large aluminum cluster.

Where MIL-96 (Al) Is Being Used

Moisture-tolerant CO₂ capture

This is what makes MIL-96 so attractive for real-world post-combustion carbon capture, where flue gas always contains water vapor. Studies report CO₂ uptake capacities for MIL-96 and its derivatives reaching over 10 mmol/g at elevated pressure, with Al³⁺ Lewis acid sites and bridging hydroxyl groups giving strong affinity for CO₂ molecules, while performance is maintained even under moderate humidity, an advantage rarely shared by other CO₂-capturing MOFs.

Hydrocarbon gas separation

MIL-96's dual pore structure is also used for hydrocarbon gas separation applications, drawing on the differing size selectivity and chemical affinity between its two pore types to separate gas molecules of similar kinetic size.

Catalysis and catalyst support

The abundant Al³⁺ Lewis acid sites on MIL-96's clusters make it widely used as a catalyst or catalyst support in various chemical processes, drawing on its high surface area and good chemical stability.

Battery and electrode composite materials

MIL-96 is also applied as a composite material in batteries and electrodes to improve energy storage performance, drawing on its high porosity as a supporting framework for active materials.

Ammonia and other pollutant adsorption

Beyond CO₂, MIL-96 is also used for adsorbing other gases and pollutants, including ammonia (NH₃), drawing on the open metal sites and hydroxyl groups within its structure.

Why Source MIL-96 Locally

MIL-96's large aluminum clusters are far harder to form perfectly than the simple metal nodes in most other MOFs, and inconsistent synthesis or storage conditions can produce incomplete clusters without any obvious visual signs. A batch like that loses exactly what makes it valuable, CO₂ selectivity under humid conditions, even though its chemical formula stays the same. ITNANO, established by the Titian Research Group's NRE Lab, manufactures MIL-96(Al) domestically with consistent crystal quality control on every batch, giving labs in Indonesia a MOF whose CO₂ capture performance can be relied on from the moment it arrives.

Whether you're researching CO₂ capture under humid conditions, formulating hydrocarbon gas separation, developing catalysts, or working on battery composite and pollutant adsorption applications, MIL-96 gives you cluster complexity and CO₂ performance that a distant supplier can't guarantee after shipping, without the import wait.

See ITNANO's MOF product line for current specifications and pricing.

Get Research-Grade MIL-96 (Al) Today

Whether you're working on CO₂ capture, hydrocarbon gas separation, catalysis, or battery composite and pollutant adsorption research, ITNANO gives you direct access to locally manufactured, research-grade MIL-96 (Al).

📦 View product specifications at itnano.store

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ITNANO is a product line by NRE Lab (CV. Inovasi Teknologi Nano), based in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, advancing local access to graphene, 2D materials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and other advanced nanomaterials for research and industry.