Separation of CF4/N2, C2F6/N2, and SF6/N2 Mixtures in Amorphous Activated Carbons Using Molecular Simulations

From slit pores to 3D frameworks: Advances in molecular modeling of adsorption in nanoporous carbons

Recent advances in computational capabilities have revolutionized the modeling of nanoporous carbons, enabling a transition from idealized pore descriptions to versatile three-dimensional molecular models. This review traces the evolution from traditional continuous potential methods and simple pore models to modern simulation techniques that generate realistic carbon structures incorporating surface heterogeneity, pore connectivity, and framework flexibility. We examine various approaches including Hybrid Reverse Monte Carlo, Quench Molecular Dynamics, and Annealed Molecular Dynamics methods, discussing their respective strengths and limitations. Particular attention is given to the choice of interatomic potentials and their impact on structural predictions. The development of million-atom models captures long-range ordering effects previously inaccessible to simulation. Applications of the 3D models demonstrate their ability to quantitatively predict adsorption behavior and provide the improved characterization of practical carbons using novel methods such as 3D-VIS and APDM. Recent hybrid MD/MC approaches, which incorporate the effects of structure flexibility, offer new insights into adsorbate-induced structural changes. This review highlights how advancing computational methods are bridging the gap between molecular-level understanding and practical applications in the carbon materials design and modeling of adsorption processes.

Topology-Oriented Assembly of Iron-2,5-Furandicarboxylate Coordination Cubes for Highly Selective CO2/SF6/N2 Capture

As typical greenhouse gases, selective capture of CO2 (carbon dioxide) and SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride) is of great importance. Herein, on the basis of a typical six-connected pcu topology, three isomorphic Fe-2,5-furandicarboxylate (Fe-FDC) metal-organic framework (MOF) adsorbents (SNNU-133-135) were successfully prepared via a rational assembly of {[Fe3O]8(FDC)12} cubic building blocks. With dihedral angles in Fe-FDC cubes varying from 80° (SNNU-133), 87° (SNNU-134), to 90°(SNNU-135), three MOF isomers show step-by-step enhancement of selective CO2 and SF6 capture performance. For SNNU-135, at 298 K and 1 bar, the adsorption capacities for CO2 and SF6 are 83.6 and 66.7 cm3/g, and the CO2/N2 and SF6/N2 selectivity values are up to 29.4 and 509.1, respectively. Furthermore, the practical breakthrough interval time of SNNU-135 can reach 75 and 185 min g-1 (298 K, 1 bar, 1 mL min-1, CO2/N2 = 15:85 and SF6/N2 = 10:90) with the captured CO2 and SF6 amounts of 1.24 and 2.34 mmol/g, and the SF6 purity greater than 99.9%. The most regular Fe-FDC cubes, all available Fe-OMSs together with multiple weak interactions, cause SNNU-135 to have the highest CO2 and SF6 adsorption capacity, best CO2/N2 and SF6/N2 selectivity performance, and one-step separation ability for CO2/SF6/N2 ternary mixtures.

Pore Environmental Modification by Amino Groups in Robust Microporous MOFs for SF6 Capturing and SF6/N2 Separation

Capturing and separating the greenhouse gas SF6 from nitrogen N2 have significant greenhouse mitigation potential and economic benefits. We used a pore engineering strategy to manipulate the pore environment of the metal-organic framework (MOF) by incorporating organic functional groups (-NH2). This resulted in an enhanced adsorption of SF6 and separation of the SF6/N2 mixture in the MOF. The introduction of amino (-NH2) groups into YTU-29 resulted in a reduction of the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface but an increase in interactions with SF6 within the confined pores. Water-stable YTU-29-NH2 showed a significantly higher SF6 uptake (95.5 cm3/g) than YTU-29 (77.4 cm3/g). The results of the breakthrough experiments show that YTU-29-NH2 has a significantly improved separation performance for SF6/N2 mixtures, with a high SF6 capture of 0.88 mmol/g compared to 0.56 mmol/g by YTU-29. This improvement is due to the suitable pore confinement and accessible -NH2 groups on pore surfaces. Considering its excellent regeneration ability and cycling performance, ultrastable YTU-29-NH2 demonstrates great potential for SF6 capturing and SF6/N2 separation.

Efficient Removal of Greenhouse Gases: Machine Learning-Assisted Exploration of Metal-Organic Framework Space

Global warming is a crisis that humanity must face together. With greenhouse gases (GHGs) as the main factor causing global warming, the adoption of relevant processes to eliminate them is essential. With the advantages of high specific surface area, large pore volume, and tunable synthesis, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted much attention in GHG storage, adsorption, separation, and catalysis. However, as the pool of MOFs expands rapidly with new syntheses and discoveries, finding a suitable MOF for a particular application is highly challenging. In this regard, high-throughput computational screening is considered the most effective research method for screening a large number of materials to discover high-performance target MOFs. Typically, high-throughput computational screening generates voluminous and multidimensional data, which is well suited for machine learning (ML) training to improve the screening efficiency and explore the relationships between the multidimensional data in depth. This Review summarizes the general process and common methods for using ML to screen MOFs in the field of GHG removal. It also addresses the challenges faced by ML in exploring the MOF space and potential directions for the future development of ML for MOF screening. This aims to enhance the understanding of the integration of ML and MOFs in various fields and broaden the application and development ideas of MOFs.

Construction of Hierarchical Porous UiO-66-Br2@PS/DVB-Packed Columns by High Internal Phase Emulsion Strategy for Enhanced Separation of CF4/N2 and SF6/N2

Recovery and separation of anthropogenic emissions of electronic specialty gases (F-gases, such as CF4 and SF6) from the semiconductor sector are of critical importance. In this work, the hierarchical porous UiO-66-Br2@PS/DVB-packed column was constructed by a high internal phase emulsions strategy. UiO-66-Br2@PS/DVB exhibits a superior selectivity of CF4/N2 (2.67) and SF6/N2 (3.34) predicted by the IAST due to the diffusion limitation in the micropore and the gas-framework affinity. Especially, UiO-66-Br2@PS/DVB showed significant CF4 and SF6 retention and enabled the successful separation of CF4/N2 and SF6/N2 with a resolution of 2.37 and 8.89, respectively, when used as a packed column in gas chromatography. Compared with the Porapak Q column, the HETP of the UiO-66-Br2@PS/DVB-packed column decreased and showed good reproducibility. This research not only offers a convenient method for fabricating a hierarchical porous MOF-packed column but also showcases the prospective utilization of MOFs for the separation of the F-gas/N2 mixture.

High throughput screening of pure silica zeolites for CF4 capture from electronics industry gas

The capture and separation of CF4 from CF4/N2 mixture gas is a crucial issue in the electronics industry, as CF4 is a commonly used etching gas and the ratio of CF4 to N2 directly affects process efficiency. Utilizing high-throughput computational screening techniques and grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations, we comprehensively screened and assessed 247 types of pure silicon zeolite materials to determine their adsorption and separation performance for CF4/N2 mixtures. Based on screening, the relationships between the structural parameters and adsorption and separation properties were meticulously investigated. Four indicators including adsorption selectivity, working capacity, adsorbent performance score (APS), and regenerability (R%) were used to evaluate the performance of adsorbents. Based on the evaluation, we selected the top three best-performing zeolite structures for vacuum swing adsorption (LEV, AWW and ESV) and pressure swing adsorption (AVL, ZON, and ERI) processes respectively. Also, we studied the preferable adsorption sites of CF4 and N2 in the selected zeolite structures through centroid density distributions at the molecule level. We expect the study may provide some valuable guidance for subsequent experimental investigations on adsorption and separation of CF4/N2.

Recent progresses, challenges and proposals on SF6 emission reduction approaches

The increasing utilization and emission of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) pose severe threats to the climate and the environment, owing to its potent greenhouse gas properties. In this paper, we comprehensively review the recent progresses of SF6 emission reduction approaches. Currently, the use and emission of SF6 are still on the rise, and mainly concentrated in the power industry. Restrictive use and emission reduction policies are fundamental step in guiding SF6 emission, but they are poor promoted in developing economies. More specific policies and regulations are needed in conjunction with timely and accurate assessments of SF6 atmospheric properties and emissions. SF6 recovery is the direct emission reduction approach, but defects in recovery methods and equipment limit its applications. The development of SF6 purification technologies and optimizations in recovery devices and processes are needed for its treatment of different regions and SF6 volumes. SF6 degradation is the final step of waste gas treatment, and its development needs to better balance the degradation rate and product selectivity, as well as to improve their multi-scenario responsiveness. SF6 substitution is a necessity for future large-scale SF6 emission reduction. Improvements in SF6-free applications and its long-term stability are critical via new gas design, gas mixture optimization and equipment updates. Finally, all the emission reduction approaches are closely related, and promoting their synergistic development and complementarity is the ultimate way to realize SF6 lifecycle management.

Highly Selective Adsorption of Perfluorinated Greenhouse Gases by Porous Organic Cages

Anthropogenic greenhouse gases contribute to global warming. Among those gases, perfluorocarbons (PFCs) are thousands to tens of thousands of times more harmful to the environment than comparable amounts of carbon dioxide. To date, materials that selectively adsorb perfluorocarbons in favor of other less harmful gases have not been reported. Here, a series of porous organic cage compounds with alkyl-, fluoroalkyl-, and partially fluorinated alkyl groups is presented. Their isomorphic crystalline states allow the study of the structure-property relationship between the degree of fluorination of the alkyl chains and the gas sorption properties for PFCs and their selective uptakes in comparison to other, nonfluorinated gases. By this approach, one compound having superior selectivities of PFCs versus N₂ or CO₂ under ambient conditions is identified.

CF4 Capture and Separation of CF4-SF6 and CF4-N2 Fluid Mixtures Using Selected Carbon Nanoporous Materials and Metal-Organic Frameworks: A Computational Study

The adsorption of pure fluid carbon tetrafluoride and the separation of CF₄-SF₆ and CF₄-N₂ fluid mixtures using representative nanoporous materials have been investigated by employing Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulation techniques. The selected materials under study were the three-dimensional carbon nanotube networks, pillared graphene using carbon nanotube pillars, and the SIFSIX-2-Cu metal-organic framework. The selection of these materials was based on their previously reported efficiency to separate fluid SF₆-N₂ mixtures. The pressure dependence of the thermodynamic and kinetic separation selectivity for the CF₄-SF₆ and CF₄-N₂ fluid mixtures has therefore been investigated, to provide deeper insights into the molecular scale phenomena taking place in the investigated nanoporous materials. The results obtained have revealed that under near-ambient pressure conditions, the carbon-based nanoporous materials exhibit a higher gravimetric fluid uptake and thermodynamic separation selectivity. The SIFSIX-2-Cu material exhibits a slightly higher kinetic selectivity at ambient and high pressures.

The adsorption mechanism of CF4 on the surface of activated carbon made from peat and modified by Cu

In order to find a way to deal with CF₄ with good removal effect and easy to promote. In this study, peat was used as raw material, and copper-loaded activated carbon (Cu/AC) was successfully prepared through nitric acid oxidation and copper chloride impregnation. Compared with commercial activated carbon and widely used metal organic frameworks (MOFs), it shows a fast adsorption rate and larger adsorption capacity for CF₄. The static experiment was used to study the influence of Cu/AC on the adsorption of CF₄ in the adsorbent dosage, reaction time, temperature, and initial concentration. SEM, FTIR, XPS, XRF, and BET were used to study the changes of physical and chemical properties before and after the adsorption. It was found that the oxygen-containing group was consumed during this process. Unsaturated sites on Cu can accelerate the adsorption of CF₄, and the adsorption process is reversible. For the first time, the kinetic model, adsorption isotherm, and thermodynamic model are used to analyze the adsorption mechanism of CF₄ on the Cu/AC surface from different angles. The results show that the adsorption of CF₄ on the Cu/AC surface is a process of exothermic entropy reduction. The static adsorption process conforms to the pseudo-first-order, the pseudo-second-order, and the Freundlish adsorption model. Through 5 adsorption and desorption processes, it is found that Cu/AC has excellent recycling and recyclability performance.

Exploring space-energy matching via quantum-molecular mechanics modeling and breakage dynamics-energy dissipation via microhydrodynamic modeling to improve the screening efficiency of nanosuspension prepared by wet media milling

Introduction: The preparation of nanosuspensions by wet media milling is a promising technique that increases the bioavailability of insoluble drugs. The nanosuspension is thermodynamically unstable, where its stability might be influenced by the interaction energy between the stabilizers and the drugs after milling at a specific collision energy. However, it is difficult to screen the stabilizers and the parameters of milling accurately and quickly by using traditional analysis methods. Quantum-molecular mechanics and microhydrodynamic modeling can be applied to improve screening efficiency.Areas covered: Quantum-molecular mechanics model, which includes molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and data on binding energy, provides insights into screening stabilizers based on their molecular behavior at the atomic level. The microhydrodynamic model explores the mechanical processes and energy dissipation in nanomilling, and even combines information on the mechanical modulus and an energy vector diagram for the milling parameters screening of drug crystals.Expert opinion: These modeling methods improve screening efficiency and support screening theories based on thermodynamics and physical dynamics. However, how to reasonably combine different modeling methods with their theoretical characteristics and further multidimensional and cross-scale simulations of nanosuspension formation remain challenges.