In the last twenty years, research activity around the environmental applications of metal–organic frameworks has bloomed due to their CO₂ capture ability, tunable properties, porosity, and well-defined crystalline structure. Thus, hundreds of MOFs have been developed. However, the impact of their production on the environment has not been investigated as thoroughly as their potential applications. In this work, the environmental performance of various synthetic routes of MOF nanoparticles, in particular ZIF-8, is assessed through a life cycle assessment. For this purpose, five representative synthesis routes were considered, and synthesis data were obtained based on available literature. The synthesis included different solvents (de-ionized water, methanol, dimethylformamide) as well as different synthetic steps (i.e., hours of drying, stirring, precursor). The findings revealed that the main environmental weak points identified during production were: (a) the use of dimethylformamide (DMF) and methanol (MeOH) as substances impacting environmental sustainability, which accounted for more than 85% of the overall environmental impacts in those synthetic routes where they were utilized as solvents and as cleaning agents at the same time; (b) the electricity consumption, especially due to the Greek energy mix which is fossil-fuel dependent, and accounted for up to 13% of the overall environmental impacts in some synthetic routes. Nonetheless, for the optimization of the impacts provided by the energy use, suggestions are made based on the use of alternative, cleaner renewable energy sources, which (for the case of wind energy) will decrease the impacts by up to 2%.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) could be utilized for a wide range of applications such as sorption, catalysis, chromatography, energy storage, sensors, drug delivery, and nonlinear optics. However, to date, there are very few examples of MOFs exploited on a commercial scale. Nevertheless, progress in MOF-related research is currently paving the way to new industrial opportunities, fostering applications and processes interconnecting fundamental chemistry with engineering and relevant sectors. Yet, the fabrication of porous MOF materials within resistant structures is a key challenge impeding their wide commercial use for processes such as adsorptive separation. In fact, the integration of nano-scale MOF crystallic structures into bulk components that can maintain the desired characteristics, i.e., size, shape, and mechanical stability, is a prerequisite for their wide practical use in many applications. At the same time, it requires sophisticated shaping techniques that can structure nano/micro-crystalline fine powders of MOFs into diverse types of macroscopic bodies such as monoliths. Under this framework, this review aims to bridge the gap between research advances and industrial necessities for fostering MOF applications into real life. Therefore, it critically explores recent advances in the shaping and production of MOF macro structures with regard to the binding materials that have received little attention to date, but have the potential to give new perspectives in the industrial applicability of MOFs. Moreover, it proposes future paths that can be adopted from both academy and industry and can further boost MOF exploitation.

Daytime Radiative Cooling (DRC) is a highly effective passive cooling technique that holds great potential for enhancing energy efficiency and promoting decarbonization. Several Daytime Radiative Coolers (DRCs) are reported in the literature to highly reflect shortwave radiation and emit thermal radiation, either specifically in the Atmospheric Window (AW) wavelengths (8–13 µm) (Selective DRCs) or in both AW and non‐AW wavelengths (Broadband DRCs). This review presents the advancements in the six key categories of DRCs identified in the literature based on their design characteristics: i) multilayer DRCs, ii) metamaterial DRCs, iii) randomly distributed particle DRC structures, iv) porous DRCs, v) colored DRCs, and vi) adaptive DRCs. The review discusses their main attributes in terms of their demonstrated thermo‐optical performance. Research gaps include the need for real‐life studies to investigate scaling up DRCs in the built environment and their effects on indoor thermal comfort and air temperature reduction. Finally, an eight‐step feedback‐loop scheme is proposed to establish efficient design and implementation protocols for DRC materials in the built environment.

Existing research suggests that students are an under-reported and under-supported group of the population that frequently lives in fuel poverty. Furthermore, studies show that students do not realize that they live in fuel poor conditions and are rarely recognized as a group vulnerable to fuel poverty. The aim of the research presented in this paper is to understand, evaluate and consequently reveal the experiences of students living in the private-rentedd sector, quantify their possible exposure to fuel poverty, and to determine the impacts of this exposure on their well-being. Three thousand five hundred and twelve students from seven European countries participated in this research making it the largest study to date targeting this specific social group. Our results demonstrate that this group is vulnerable to fuel poverty and that their exposure to such conditions can have a detrimental effect on both their mental and physical health, as well as their social life.

Radiative Coolers (RCs) represent an emerging technology that has the potential to significantly reduce urban heat and improve indoor/outdoor thermal comfort in the built environment. Broadband and Selective Radiative Coolers (BRCs and SRCs, respectively) are the two main types of RCs that have been proposed for application in the built environment. Being both typically characterized by high solar reflectance, the former emits thermal radiation within the overall infrared spectrum, whilst the latter emits thermal radiation mainly within the Atmospheric Window (AW) waverange. A variety of both types of RCs have been developed and tested in both in‐lab and in‐field experimental campaigns. Yet, all experiments comprise small scale specimens that do not represent real‐life scale components of the built environment. In addition, no meso scale assessments have been performed with respect to the RCs' performance at a city scale. Here, for the first time, the thermo‐optical performance of both BRCs and SRCs is introduced and investigated in a multilayer Urban Canopy Model (UCM) coupled with extended Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) and we simulated 20 different scenarios representing the vast majority of urban layouts. The outcomes show that both types of RCs maintain lower surface temperature and air temperature at 2 m height inside the canyon, compared to conventional roofs. In addition, a city scale application of RCs has been found capable of decreasing ambient temperature up to 1.6°C as potentially experienced by pedestrians.