Flexible Microporous Copper(II) Metal–Organic Framework toward the Storage and Separation of C1–C3 Hydrocarbons in Natural Gas
Zheng Zeng, Wei Wang, Xiao‐Hong Xiong, Neng‐Xiu Zhu, Yang‐Yang Xiong, Zhang‐Wen Wei, Ji‐Jun Jiang
Abstract
A flexible and robust microporous copper(II) metal–organic framework (MOF) based on a methyl-functionalized ligand, namely, [Cu3(μ3-OH)2(L)2(DMF)] (LIFM-ZZ-1; L = 2,2′-dimethyl-4,4′-biphenyldicarboxylic acid and DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide), was constructed. Its sorption performance for the separation of CH4, C2H6, and C3H8 was investigated. LIFM-ZZ-1 showed a breathing behavior that led to a transition between large- and narrow-pore states. The sample also showed outstanding water stability. Gas adsorption experiments revealed that desolvated LIFM-ZZ-1 exhibited higher adsorption capacities for C2H6 and C3H8 (2.80 and 4.06 mmol·g–1) than for CH4 (0.39 mmol·g–1) at 298 K and 1 bar. Breakthrough experiments showed that a CH4/C2H6/C3H8 mixture was completely separated at 298 K, demonstrating the promising potential applications of this material for separating low contents of C2/C3 hydrocarbons from natural gas.