Thiadiazole-Functionalized Th/Zr-UiO-66 for Efficient C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>2</sub>/CO<sub>2</sub> Separation
Xiaokang Wang, Hongyan Liu, Meng Sun, Haoyang Wang, Xueying Feng, Wenmiao Chen, Xiang Feng, Weidong Fan, Daofeng Sun
Abstract
Adsorptive separation technology provides an effective approach for separating gases with similar physicochemical properties, such as the purification of acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) from carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). The high designability and tunability of metal–organic framework (MOF) adsorbents make them ideal design platforms for this challenging separation. Herein, we employ an isoreticular functionalization strategy to fine-tune the pore environment of Zr- and Th-based UiO-66 by the immobilization of the benzothiadiazole group via bottom-up synthesis. The functionalized UPC-120 exhibits an enhanced C 2 H 2 /CO 2 separation performance, which is confirmed by adsorption isotherms, dynamic breakthrough curves, and theoretical simulations. The synergy of ligand functionalization and metal ion fine-tuning guided by isoreticular chemistry provides a new perspective for the design and development of adsorbents for challenging gas separation processes.