Formed from an organic linker and a metal salt cluster, Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are highly crystalline materials with a large surface area, pore size and pore volume. Some of these MOFs show a step-wise water adsorption behaviour. This would make them suitable for seasonal thermal heat storage through water adsorption, due to their high stability in a moist air environment and a relatively large adsorption capacity. This thesis is dedicated to modelling MIL-101(Cr), MIL-100(Fe), Aluminium fumarate, MOF-841(Zr), CAU-10(Al)-H, MIL-125(Ti)-NH2, MIL-160(Al) and CPO-27(Ni). The adsorption capacity was tested using two situations with a different set of temperatures. From these MOFs, three of the better performing MOFs were eventually tested, to measure the water adsorption energy density. With this data, the expected needed storage volume of the MOF was estimated, where the best MOF was chosen.

Electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 is one possibility to solve the electrical energy storage problem and decrease the amount of CO2. Copper is the only metal that has been reported to produce hydrocarbons in the electrochemical CO2 reduction at ambient pressure and temperature. External parameters (potential, temperature and electrolyte), copper catalyst morphology and purity and newly designed carbon-based electrodes were investigated. The highest Faraday efficiency towards hydrocarbons at 22°C was obtained at a fixed potential of -2.50 V vs. Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The best electrolyte solution is 0.1 M KHCO3. Methane is the dominant product. FE towards ethylene maximizes at -2.25 V. Up to 40°C, the total Faraday efficiency towards hydrocarbons is not influenced by temperature, but ethylene amount increases with increasing temperature. Above 40°C hardly any hydrocarbons are formed. Altering the surface structure of the copper catalyst by electrodeposition give different results for the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction. The rougher the surface, the less methane and the more ethylene was formed. The macroscopic smooth surfaces are related to the (001) orientation and a rough macroscopic surface is related to the (111) orientation. To increase the surface area, carbon-based catalyst supports (graphite plates, carbon nanofibers and carbon xerogels) were tested. They show promising results.@en