Sustainable refrigeration enabled by endothermic dissolution

The increasing demand for sustainable refrigeration technologies motivates the development of alternatives to conventional vapor-compression systems. Endothermic dissolution refrigeration, which exploits positive enthalpy changes during dissolution, offers an environmentally friendly refrigeration approach with large temperature drops and high cooling-power density. In this perspective, we focus on the fundamental principles of endothermic salt-dissolution refrigeration and the diverse emerging dissolution refrigeration cycles that employ different external fields to regenerate the dissolved salt. We analyze the thermodynamic mechanisms governing the key performance metrics of the refrigeration effect, summarize key figures of merit for material evaluation, and categorize existing regeneration approaches for reversible operation. Finally, we outline future development directions and potential application scenarios. Overall, endothermic salt-dissolution refrigeration is driving a new generation of sustainable cooling technologies.