Bioinspired recognition in metal-organic frameworks enabling precise sieving separation of fluorinated propylene and propane mixtures
Wei Xia, Zhijie Zhou, Liangzheng Sheng, Lihang Chen, Fuxing Shen, Zheng Fang, Zhiguo Zhang, Qiwei Yang, Qilong Ren, Zongbi Bao
Abstract
The separation of fluorinated propane/propylene mixtures remains a major challenge in the electronics industry. Inspired by biological ion channels with negatively charged inner walls that allow selective transport of cations, we presented a series of formic acid-based metal-organic frameworks (MFA) featuring biomimetic multi-hydrogen confined cavities. These MFA materials, especially the cobalt formate (CoFA), exhibit specific recognition of hexafluoropropylene (C3F6) while facilitating size exclusion of perfluoropropane (C3F8). The dual-functional adsorbent offers multiple binding sites to realize intelligent selective recognition of C3F6, as supported by theoretical calculations and in situ spectroscopic experiments. Mixed-gas breakthrough experiments validate the capability of CoFA to produce high-purity (>5 N) C3F8 in a single step. Importantly, the stability and cost-effective scalable synthesis of CoFA underscore its extraordinary potential for industrial C3F6/C3F8 separations. This bioinspired molecular recognition approach opens new avenues for the efficient purification of fluorinated electronic specialty gases. Here authors present cobalt formate-based MOFs that separate fluorinated propylene from propane, offering a stable, cost-effective solution for purifying electronic gases.