Mixed Matrix Membranes with Surface Functionalized Metal-Organic Framework Sieves for Efficient Propylene/Propane Separation.

Membrane technology, regarded as an environmentally friendly and sustainable approach, offers great potential to address the large energy penalty associated with the energy-intensive propylene/propane separation. Quest for molecular sieving membranes for this important separation is of tremendous interest. Here, a fluorinated metal-organic framework (MOF) material, known as KAUST-7 (KAUST: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) with well-defined narrow 1D channels that can effectively discriminate propylene from propane based on a size-sieving mechanism, is successfully incorporated into a polyimide matrix to fabricate molecular sieving mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). Markedly, the surface functionalization of KAUST-7 nanoparticles with carbene moieties affords the requisite interfacial compatibility, with minimal nonselective defects at polymer-filler interfaces, for the fabrication of a molecular sieving MMM. The optimal membrane with a high MOF loading (up to 45 wt.%) displays a propylene permeability of ≈95 barrer and a mixed propylene/propane selectivity of ≈20, far exceeding the state-of-the-art upper bound limits. Moreover, the resultant membrane exhibits robust structural stability under practical conditions, including high pressures (up to 8 bar) and temperatures (up to 100 °C). The observed outstanding performance attests to the importance of surface engineering for the preparation and plausible deployment of high-performance MMMs for industrial applications.

Cheng Y ，Joarder B ，Datta SJ ，Alsadun N ，Poloneeva D ，Fan D ，Khairova R ，Bavykina A ，Jia J ，Shekhah O ，Shkurenko A ，Maurin G ，Gascon J ，Eddaoudi M ... -  《-》

Rational Matching of Metal-Organic Frameworks and Polymers in Mixed Matrix Membranes for Efficient Propylene/Propane Separation.

Yu Z ，Sun Y ，Zhang Z ，Geng C ，Qiao Z ... -  《Polymers》

Conformation-Controlled Molecular Sieving Effects for Membrane-Based Propylene/Propane Separation.

Membrane-based separation is poised to reduce the operation cost of propylene/propane separation; however, identifying a suitable molecular sieve for membrane development is still an ongoing challenge. Here, the successful identification and use of a metal-organic framework (MOF) material as fillers, namely, the Zr-fum-fcu-MOF possessing an optimal contracted triangular pore-aperture driving the efficient diffusive separation of propylene from propane in mixed-matrix membranes are reported. It is demonstrated that the fabricated hybrid membranes display a high propylene/propane separation performance, far beyond the current trade-off limit of polymer membranes with excellent properties under industrial conditions. Most importantly, the mechanism behind the exceptional high propylene/propane selectivity is delineated by exploring theoretically the efficiency of sieving of different conformers of propane through the hypothesized triangular rigid pore-aperture of Zr-fum-fcu-MOF.

Liu Y ，Chen Z ，Liu G ，Belmabkhout Y ，Adil K ，Eddaoudi M ，Koros W ... -  《-》

Uniformly Distributed Mixed Matrix Membranes via a Solution Processable Strategy for Propylene/Propane Separation.

Su Y ，Li D ，Shan M ，Feng X ，Gascon J ，Wang Y ，Zhang Y ... -  《-》

Unexpectedly High Propylene/Propane Separation Performance of Asymmetric Mixed-Matrix Membranes through Additive-Assisted In Situ ZIF-8 Filler Formation: Experimental and Computational Studies.

Hua Y ，Mohamed AMO ，Choi GM ，Cho KY ，Economou IG ，Jeong HK ... -  《-》