A key challenge in synthesizing MOF materials lies in their 'activation' after synthesis, a step which 40 removes solvent adsorbed within the MOF's pores during the synthesis procedure. Activation is essential to open up the surface area of MOF materials, a requirement for the vast majority of their applications. However, improper activation can easily lead to the pore structure becoming inaccessible, rendering the resultant materials useless. Detailed experimental studies have identified a range of plausible causes for poor activation including incomplete guest removal, surface blocking 45 of the accessible pores, and total or partial collapse of the crystalline phases due to framework degradation. Further, seemingly minor changes to a framework structure can drastically alter their performance during activation due to subtle changes in the metal-linker chemistry or framework mechanical stability. Attempts to improve activation methods to increase the reliability of MOF materials are therefore hindered by incomplete understanding and characterisation of these 50 phenomena. This is particularly true of framework collapse, which is usually only identified by the loss of sample crystallinity upon activation. Activation generally is done by heating the MOF material under reduced pressure in order to remove the confined fluid. Direct MOF activation from the synthesis solvent -usually a polar, high boiling point compound such as dimethylformamide (DMF) -is rarely performed both due to the harsh 55 conditions required and tendency to trigger activation-collapse. Instead, the reaction solvent is often exchanged for a more volatile alternative. Solvent exchange is not universally effective, however, as the activation behaviour of specific MOF-solvent pairs cannot be easily predicted, and some MOFs even collapse upon solvent exchange. Therefore, laborious trial-and-error development of activation methods are required for each new material developed. Furthermore, incorporation of solvent 60 exchange to MOF production methods adds a further processing step, with its own requirements for validation and optimisation. As a result of these difficulties, investigation into the how and why of activation-collapse are essential to overcome the barriers towards cost-effective MOF scaleup.