Boosting Ethane/Ethylene Separation by MOFs through the Amino‐Functionalization of Pores

Abstract

AbstractAdsorption technology based on ethane‐selective materials is a promising alternative to energy‐intensive cryogenic distillation for separating ethane (C2H6) and ethylene (C2H4). We employed a pore engineering strategy to tune the pore environment of a metal–organic framework (MOF) through organic functional groups and boosted the C2H6/C2H4separation of the MOF. Introduction of amino (−NH2) groups into Tb‐MOF‐76 not only decreased pore sizes but also facilitated multiple guest‐host interactions in confined pores. The NH2‐functionalized Tb‐MOF‐76(NH2) has increased C2H6and C2H4uptakes and C2H6/C2H4selectivity. The results of experimental and simulated transient breakthroughs reveal that Tb‐MOF‐76(NH2) has significantly improved one‐step separation performance for C2H6/C2H4mixtures with a high C2H4(>99.95 %) productivity of 17.66 L kg−1compared to 7.53 L kg−1by Tb‐MOF‐76, resulting from the suitable pore confinement and accessible −NH2groups on pore surfaces.