Structural Regulation and Light Hydrocarbon Adsorption/Separation of Three Zirconium-Organic Frameworks Based on Different V-Shaped Ligands

A Highly Chemically Robust 2D Zn-MOF as Promising Adsorbent for One-Step Methane Purification From Multicomponent Gas Mixtures

One-step CH4 purification from C2-hydrocarbons and CO2 gas impurities is essential in the quest for clean energy resources amidst the growing energy crisis. While MOF materials have demonstrated significant progress in binary C2H2/CH4, C2H4/CH4, C2H6/CH4, and CO2/CH4 separations, there is a growing emphasis on the purification of CH4 from multicomponent gas mixtures using a single adsorbent. Toward this direction, a 2D MOF: IITKGP-27, {[Zn(MBPz) (SO2DBA)]·4H2O}n featuring rhombus pores decorated with polar functionalities has been strategically constructed displaying remarkable chemical robustness in water for 7 days, across a wide range of aqueous pH solutions (pH = 2-12), and in open air for 30 days. Interestingly, IITKGP-27 selectively adsorb C2 hydrocarbons (C2H2, C2H4, and C2H6) and CO2 over CH4, attributed to the synergistic effect of favorable host-guest (C2S and CO2) interactions due to the presence of accessible surface functionalities and optimal pore apertures. Moreover, an excellent trade-off between high sorption capacities and moderate separation selectivities was achieved. Transient breakthrough simulations further validated its feasibility toward unexplored CH4 purification from a blend of all such five gases mimicking natural gas composition, demonstrating its viability for this critical application. In addition, the facile bulk scalability, ease of regeneration, excellent recyclability, and outstanding structural stability highlight its potential as a robust solution for efficient CH4 purification from natural gas streams.

Preparation of CaCl2/MOF-303 composite and its dehumidification properties

A series of aluminium based Metal-Organic Framework (Al-MOF) composite adsorbents were prepared by impregnating moisture-sensitive CaCl2 with different relative contents into Al-MOF (MOF-303). The composite adsorbents were characterized by adsorption isotherm of N2, elemental analysis and scanning electron microscopy, and subjected to static and dynamic adsorption tests of water vapor, as well as cyclic adsorption and desorption tests. The results showed that with the addition of CaCl2, the high surface area of MOF-303 granules (1276 m2 g-1) dropped sharply to 588-683 m2 g-1. However, under the synergistic effect of physical adsorption and chemical adsorption, the purification effects of the composite adsorbents were significantly better than those of unmodified MOF-303, molecular sieves, and silica gel. The adsorption performance was correlated with the impregnation amount of CaCl2. As the CaCl2 content increased, the saturation adsorption capacity and breakthrough adsorption capacity of the composite adsorbents all showed a trend of first increasing and subsequently decreasing. The maximum water adsorption capacity of the CaCl2/MOF-303 composite was 1077 mg g-1. In addition, the regenerative rate of the CaCl2/MOF-303 composite was over 96.1% after fifty adsorption and desorption cycles of water, showing good desorption performance and excellent structural stability, which proved a broad application prospect in the field of dehumidification.

Methane Storage and Purification of Natural Gas in Metal-Organic Frameworks

Natural gas, primarily composed of methane (CH4), represent an excellent choice for a potentially sustainable renewable energy transition. However, the process of compressing and liquefying CH4 for transport and storage typically results in significant energy losses. In addition, in order to optimize its efficacy as a fuel, the CH4 content of natural gas needs to be increased to a level of at least 97 % to ensure its quality and efficiency in various applications. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) represent a novel category of porous materials that possess exceptional capability in modifying pore size and chemical environment, making them ideally suited for the storage of CH4 and the adsorption of propane (C3H8), ethane (C2H6), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen (N2), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) to facilitate the purification process of CH4 from natural gas. In this paper, we systematically summarize the mechanism by which MOF materials facilitate the storage of CH4 and the purification of CH4 from natural gas, leveraging the structural characteristics inherent to MOF materials. The focus of further research should also be directed towards the investigation of CH4 storage by flexible MOFs, the resolution of the trade-off dilemma, and the commercial application of MOFs.

Spatially Confined π-Complexation within Pore-Space-Partitioned Metal-Organic Frameworks for Enhanced Light Hydrocarbon Separation and Purification

Ultramicroporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are demonstrated to be advantageous for the separation and purification of light hydrocarbons such as C2H2, C2H4, and CH4. The introduction of transition metal sites with strong π-complexation affinity into MOFs is more effective than other adsorption sites for the selective adsorption of π-electron-rich unsaturated hydrocarbon gases from their mixtures. However, lower coordination numbers make it challenging to produce robust MOFs directly utilizing metal ions with π-coordination activity, such as Cu+, Ag+, and Pd2+. Herein, a series of novel π-complexing MOFs (SNNU-33s) with a pore size of 4.6 Å are precisely constructed by cleverly introducing symmetrically matched C3-type [Cu(pyz)3] (pyz = pyrazine) coordinated fragments into 1D hexagonal channels of MIL-88 prototype frameworks. Benifit from the spatial confinement combined with π-complex-active Cu+ of [Cu(pyz)3], pore-space-partitioned SNNU-33 MOFs all present excellent C2H2/CH4, C2H4/CH4, and CO2/CH4 separation ability. Notably, the optimized SNNU-33b adsorbent demonstrates top-level IAST selectivity values for C2H2/CH4 (597.4) and C2H4/CH4 (69.8), as well as excellent breakthrough performance. Theoretical calculations further reveal that such benchmark light hydrocarbon separation and purification ability is mainly ascribed to the extra-strong binding affinity between Cu+ and π-electron donor molecules via a spatially confined π-complexation process.

Solvent-Induced In(III)-MOFs with Controllable Interpenetration Degree Performing High-Efficiency Separation of CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4

Herein, three In(III)-based metal-organic frameworks (In-MOFs) with different degrees of interpenetration (DOI), namely In-MOF-1, In-MOF-2, and In-MOF-3, constructed by In3+ and Y-shaped ligands 4,4',4″-s-triazine-2,4,6-triyltribenzoate (H3TATB), are successfully synthesized through the ionothermal/solvothermal method. Subsequently, three novel In-MOFs, including noninterpenetration polycatenation, 2-fold interpenetrated, and 4-fold interpenetrated structure, are employed as the platform for systematically investigating the separation efficiency of CO2/N2, CO2/CH4, and CO2/CH4/N2 mixture gas system. Among them, In-MOF-2 shows the highest CO2 uptake capacities at 298 K and simultaneously possesses the low adsorption enthalpy of CO2 (26.4 kJ/mol at low coverage), a feature desirable for low-energy-cost adsorbent regeneration. The CO2/N2 (v: v = 15/85) selectivity of In-MOF-2 reaches 37.6 (at 298 K and 1 bar), also revealing outstanding selective separation ability from flue gases and purifying natural gas, affording a unique robust separation material as it has moderate DOI and pore size. In-MOF-2 shows exceptional stability and feasibility to achieve reproducibility. Aperture adjustment makes In-MOF-2 a versatile platform for selectively capturing CO2 from flue gases or purifying natural gas.

Designing Different Heterometallic Organic Frameworks by Heteroatom and Second Metal Doping Strategies for the Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered one of the most significant electrocatalysts for the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Hence, a series of novel N,S-codoped Ni-based heterometallic organic framework (HMOF) (NiM-bptz-HMOF, M = Co, Zn, and Mn; bptz = 2,5-bis((3-pyridyl)methylthio)thiadiazole) precatalysts are constructed by the heteroatom and second metal doping strategies. The effective combination of the two strategies promotes electronic conductivity and optimizes the electronic structure of the metal. By regulation of the type and proportion of metal ions, the electrochemical performance of the OER can be improved. Among them, the optimized Ni6Zn1-bptz-HMOF precatalyst exhibits the best performance with an overpotential of 268 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a small Tafel slope of 72.5 mV dec-1. This work presents a novel strategy for the design of modest heteroatom-doped OER catalysts.

Porous MOF Featuring 2D Intersecting Channels Based on a Pentanuclear Mn5(COO)10CO3 Cluster with Upgrading of Pipeline Natural Gas

Natural gas plays a crucial role in daily and industrial production, but the impurities contained in natural gas limit its further use. It is very important to develop adsorbents that can separate CH4 from multicomponent mixtures, but there are still many challenges and problems. Herein, a novel porous MOF {[Mn5(pbdia)2(CO3)(H2O)2] ↔ 5H2O ↔ 2DMF}n (pbdia = 2,2'-(5-carboxy-1,3-phenylene)bis(oxy) diterephthalic acid) was successfully synthesized based on a flexible pentacarboxylic acid ligand and a unique pentanuclear Mn5(COO)10CO3 cluster. The MOF reveals a 3D porous structure with 2D intersecting channels, which shows high C3H8, C2H6, and CO2 adsorption capacities and affinities over CH4. Moreover, the ideal adsorption solution theory selectivities of C3H8/CH4, C2H6/CH4, and CO2/CH4 can reach 263.0, 27.0, and 7.7, respectively, suggesting a potential for removing the low content of C3H8, C2H6, and CO2 from pipeline natural gas, which was further confirmed by breakthrough curves and GCMC simulations.

Synthesis of UiO-66-Sal-Cu(OH)2 by a Simple and Novel Method: MOF-Based Metal Thin Film as a Heterogeneous Catalyst for Olefin Oxidation

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), particularly UiO-66-NH₂, are employed as a catalyst in many industrial catalyst applications. As converting catalysts into thin film significantly increases their catalytic properties for the epoxidation of olefins, we report a general approach to synthesizing MOF thin films (UiO-66-Sal-Cu(OH)₂). Using the postsynthesis method (PSM), UiO-66-NH₂ was functionalized with salicylaldehyde and entrapped on copper hydroxide nanoparticle surfaces using a modern strategy (MOF thin film). We used field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), EDX (energy-dispersive X-ray analysis), XRD (X-ray diffraction), FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared), BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller), TGA (thermogravimetric analysis), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), and ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) to determine the structure and morphology of the synthesized UiO-66-Sal-Cu(OH)₂. The oxidation of cyclooctene by the UiO-66-Sal-Cu(OH)₂ thin film was studied. Due to its advantages, such as being environmentally friendly (base metal-loaded catalyst, room temperature, solvent-free reaction), reusability, and high yield, this compound can be an appropriate catalyst for the oxidation of olefins.

Two Structurally Similar Co5 Cluster-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks Containing Open Metal Sites for Efficient C2H2/CO2 Separation

To reasonably design and synthesize metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with high stability and excellent adsorption/separation performance, the pore configuration and functional sites are very important. Here, we report two structurally similar cluster-based MOFs using a pyridine-modified low-symmetry ligand [H₄L = 2,6-bis(2',5'-dicarboxyphenyl)pyridine], [(NH₂Me₂)₂][Co₅(L)₂(OCH₃)₂(μ₃-OH)₂·2DMF]·2DMF·2H₂O (1) and [Co₅(L)₂(μ₃-OH)₂(H₂O)₂]·2H₂O·4DMF (2). The structures of 1 and 2 are built from Co₅ clusters, which have one-dimensional open channels, but their microporous environments are different due to the different ways in which ligands bind to the metals. Both MOFs have extremely high chemical stabilities over a wide pH range (2-12). The two MOFs have similar adsorption capacities of C₂H₂ (144.0 cm³ g^-1 for 1 and 141.3 cm³ g^-1 for 2), but 1 has a higher C₂H₂/CO₂ selectivity of 3.5 under ambient conditions. The difference in gas adsorption and separation between the two MOFs has been compared by a breakthrough experiment and theoretical calculation, and the influence of the microporous environment on the gas adsorption and separation performance of MOFs has been further studied.

Theoretical investigation of C1-C4 hydrocarbons adsorption and separation in a porous metallocavitand

The purification of light hydrocarbons is one of the most important chemical processes globally which consumes substantial energy. Porous materials are likely to improve the efficiency of the separation process by acting as regenerable solid adsorbents. To investigate such translational systems, the underlying mechanism of adsorption in the porous materials must be taken into account. Herein we report the adsorption and selective separation of C1-C4 hydrocarbons in the coinage metal-based macrocyclic metallocavitand Pillarplex, which exhibits excellent performance in the adsorption of CH4 at the ambient conditions with a binding energy of -17.9 kcal mol-1. In addition, the endohedral adsorption of C2-C4 hydrocarbon is impressive. The CH4, C2H4, C3H4, and 1,3-butadiene have potential uptake of 2.57, 4.26, 3.60, and 2.95 mmol g-1, respectively at ambient conditions are highest from their respective isomers. Selective separation of C1-C4 hydrocarbons is studied using ideal adsorption solution theory demonstrating its potential for one-step purification of C1-C3 hydrocarbons.

Multifunctional luminescent Zr(IV)-MOF for rapid and efficient detection of vanillin, CrO42- and Cr2O72- ions

Fast and efficient detection of pollutants in the food or wastewater is an urgent need for protecting human health and ecological environment. Herein, a luminescent Zr(IV)-MOF (HBU-20) has been conveniently synthesized. It could be used as a fluorescent probe for detection of vanillin, CrO₄^2-, and Cr₂O₇^2- in aqueous medium. All the fluorescence response time is less than 10 s and the detection limits of vanillin, CrO₄^2- and Cr₂O₇^2- achieve 0.38 μM, 0.065 μM and 0.0089 μM, respectively. Interestingly, common anions, cations and amino acids in the solution can not affect the fluorescence detection. Meanwhile, the fluorescence detection process can be successfully implemented even under strong acid or strong alkaline conditions. Further research shows that the inner filter effect (IFE) plays a major role in the sensing process. The rapid and sensitive fluorescence responses indicate that the compound is a promising multifunctional probe for sensing toxic substance. The results can provide an important reference for the design of new fluorescent probes.

Two Solvent-Induced In(III)-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks with Controllable Topology Performing High-Efficiency Separation of C2H2/CH4 and CO2/CH4

For pure acetylene manufacturing and natural gas purification, the development of porous materials displaying highly selective C₂H₂/CH₄ and CO₂/CH₄ separation is greatly important but remains a major challenge. In this work, a plausible strategy involving solvent-induced effects and using the flexibility of the ligand conformation to make two In(III) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is developed, showing topological diversity and different stability. The X-shaped tetracarboxylic ligand H₄TPTA ([1,1':3',1″-terphenyl]-4,4',4″,6'-tetracarboxylic acid) was selected to construct two new heteroid In MOFs, namely, {[CH₃NH₃][In(TPTA)]·2(NMF)} (MOF 1) and {[In₂(TPTA)(OH)₂]·2(H₂O)·(DMF)} (MOF 2). MOF 1 is a (4, 4)-connected net showing a pts topology with a large channel that is not conducive to fine gas separation. By contrast, with the reduction of SBU from uninucleated In to an {In-OH-In}_n chain, MOF 2 has a (4, 6)-connected net with the fsc topology with an ∼5 Å suitable micropore to confine matching small gas. The permanent porosity of MOF 2 leads to the preferential adsorption of C₂H₂ over CO₂ with superior C₂H₂/CH₄ (332.3) and CO₂/CH₄ (31.2) separation selectivities. Meanwhile, the cycling dynamic breakthrough experiments showed that the high-purity C₂H₂ (>99.8%) capture capacities of MOF 2 were >1.92 mmol g^-1 from a binary C₂H₂/CH₄ mixture, and its separation factor reached 10.

Macro-Meso-Microporous Metal-Organic Frameworks: Template-Assisted Spray Drying Synthesis and Enhanced Catalysis

Hierarchically porous metal-organic frameworks (HP-MOFs) are promising in many applications. However, most previous studies focus on HP-MOFs with two kinds of pore structures. Herein, a strategy for efficient construction of HP-MOFs possessing macro-meso-micropores using template-assisted spray drying followed by etching process is proposed. Taking ZIF-8 as an example, using polystyrene (PS) templates, the complete HP-ZIF-8 with all the three categories of pores can be easily fabricated. The close arrangement of intrinsic microporous nanosized ZIF-8 (N-ZIF-8) in the spray drying process results in the creation of mesopores, while the macropores are further generated after the removal of PS templates. The structures of macropores and mesopores can be easily adjusted by altering the size and proportion of PS and the size of N-ZIF-8, respectively. Furthermore, this method is extended to the preparation of HP-HKUST-1. As a proof-of-concept, HP-ZIF-8 displays excellent catalytic properties in Knoevenagel reaction owing to its unique pore features. Compared with conventional microsized ZIF-8 (M-ZIF-8) with similar size, HP-ZIF-8 achieves the significantly increased conversion of benzaldehyde from 55% to 100% within 3 h, and shows better recycling performance than N-ZIF-8.

Construction of a series of Ln-MOFs Luminescent sensors based a functional “V” shaped ligand

Abstract: It is necessary for decreasing application cost of luminescent Ln-MOFs sensors to develop multiple functionalities. The ingenious design of ligands and the rational dope of Ln3+ ions are main...

Stepwise synthesis of Zr-based metal–organic frameworks: incorporating a trinuclear zirconocene-based metallo-pyridine ligand

Based on a presynthesized Zr3 precursor, two isostructural 2D heterometallic ZrMOFs have been synthesized by a step synthesis strategy.

Efficient Separation of Acetylene-Containing Mixtures Using ZIF-8 Membranes

Metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes show great potential in the separation of acetylene mixtures. In this work, we have prepared ZIF-8 membranes on polyamide (PA) substrates for the highly selective separation of acetylene/methane and acetylene/carbon dioxide mixtures. The C₂H₂/CH₄ and C₂H₂/CO₂ mixtures can be successfully separated using the ZIF-8 membranes, with separation factors of 12.1 and 1.8, respectively. Based on the results of the cross-permeation tests of C₂H₂/CH₄, CO₂/CH₄, and C₂H₂/CO₂, the separation mechanism of C₂H₂/CH₄ in our ZIF-8 membrane can be attributed to a higher affinity for acetylene and molecular sieving effect, while C₂H₂/CO₂ separation is related to thermodynamic factors. It is worth noting that this is the first example of MOF membranes to successfully separate C₂H₂ from CH₄ and CO₂.