Optimizing the pore space of a robust nickel–organic framework for efficient C2H2/C2H4 separation

Xiuping Liu; Yue Li; Chunlian Hao; Weidong Fan; Wei Liu; Jingquan Liu; Yijun Wang

doi:10.1039/D2QI02398A

Optimizing the pore space of a robust nickel–organic framework for efficient C₂H₂/C₂H₄ separation†

Xiuping Liu,‡^a Yue Li,‡^b Chunlian Hao,

^b Weidong Fan,

*^b Wei Liu,^a Jingquan Liu

^a and Yijun Wang*^a

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a School of Materials Science and Engineering, Linyi University, Linyi, Shandong 276000, China
E-mail: wangyijun@lyu.edu.cn

^b School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, Shandong, China
E-mail: wdfan@upc.edu.cn

Abstract

The separation of acetylene (C₂H₂) from ethylene (C₂H₄) is an important but challenging process in industry because of their similar physical properties and kinetic molecular sizes. Here, we presented a robust nickel–organic framework (UPC-22) with intrinsic hydrogen bonds and one-dimensional functionalized channels, offering efficient purification of C₂H₄. UPC-22 exhibits excellent chemical stability at various pH values from 1 to 11 and a high C₂H₂/C₂H₄ selectivity of 4.8 at 273 K. Actual breakthrough experiments further demonstrate that UPC-22 is a promising potential adsorbent for C₂H₂/C₂H₄ separation with a C₂H₄ productivity of 1.07 mmol g⁻¹. Grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation and density functional theory indicate that the unsaturated Ni^II sites and uncoordinated carboxylate groups with an additional contribution from π⋯π packing between aromatic rings provide stronger multipoint interactions with C₂H₂ over C₂H₄. This study offers practical guidance to fabricate durable materials for C₂H₂/C₂H₄ separation in real industrial scenarios.

This article is part of the themed collections: 2023 Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers HOT articles and FOCUS: Design and applications of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)

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Article information

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D2QI02398A
Article type: Research Article
Submitted: 12 Nov 2022
Accepted: 12 Dec 2022
First published: 13 Dec 2022

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Inorg. Chem. Front., 2023,10, 824-831

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Optimizing the pore space of a robust nickel–organic framework for efficient C₂H₂/C₂H₄ separation

X. Liu, Y. Li, C. Hao, W. Fan, W. Liu, J. Liu and Y. Wang, Inorg. Chem. Front., 2023, 10, 824 DOI: 10.1039/D2QI02398A

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