Key factors of desiccant-based cooling systems: Materials

Highlights: • To improve human comfort the desiccant cooling system has received much attention. • Desiccant materials have crucial effect on performance of desiccant cooling systems. • Composition, microstructure and preparation methods are most important parameters. • Carbon based desiccant materials have a significant potential for future research. • Limitations & recommendations towards developing desiccant materials are discussed. -- Abstract: A desiccant cooling system is among the best options to overcome future energy demand issues while considering human comfort by its ability to control both temperature and humidity. Although desiccant materials remarkably affect the performance of desiccant-based cooling systems, most studies focus on the design. This paper presents a review of the recent investigations on advanced desiccant materials regarding the improvement of the material properties for desiccant cooling application, emphasizing other important parameters, such as environmental conditions, cost, and design to achieve optimal performance. The preparation and performance of silica- and carbon-based desiccant materials are discussed. The current most suitable desiccant materials under different conditions for desiccant air conditioning systems and suggestions for future works are presented.