A cobalt‐based metal–organic framework for efficient separation of propene from propane via electrostatic effect
Yongwei Chen, Shi Tu, Peng Fu, Houxiao Wu, Xingjie Wang, Ying Wu, Zhibo Li, Qibin Xia
Abstract
Abstract Exploring porous materials for efficient adsorption separation of propene/propane (C 3 H 6 /C 3 H 8 ) mixture to replace the energy‐intensive cryogenic distillation remains a daunting challenge due to the similar physiochemical properties of the two gases. Herein, we report a cobalt‐based metal–organic framework, MUF‐17, for efficient separation of C 3 H 6 /C 3 H 8 by exploiting the electrostatic effect. MUF‐17 exhibits a moderate C 3 H 6 uptake of 2.44 mmol/g and good C 3 H 6 /C 3 H 8 selectivity of 3.8 at 298 K and 1.0 bar. Breakthrough experiments confirm the excellent C 3 H 6 /C 3 H 8 separation with the C 3 H 6 captured productivity of 1.26 mmol/g. Molecular simulations reveal that MUF‐17 enables effective trapping of C 3 H 6 and discrimination from C 3 H 8 , due to the electrostatic potential compatibility well fitting for C 3 H 6 within the confined pore space that provides the stronger binding sites of C 3 H 6 than C 3 H 8 . Furthermore, other combinational features of moisture stable, low‐cost, ready large‐scale synthesis, and good recyclability are observed for MUF‐17, making it a promising candidate for C 3 H 6 /C 3 H 8 separation.