Pore-Space Partition and Optimization for Propane-Selective High-Performance Propane/Propylene Separation

Abstract

The development of effective propane (C₃H₈)-selective adsorbents for the purification of propylene (C₃H₆) from C₃H₈/C₃H₆ mixture is a promising alternative to replace the energy-intensive cryogenic distillation. However, few materials possess the dual desirable features of propane selectivity and high uptake capacity. Here, we report a family of pore-space-partitioned crystalline porous materials (CPM) with remarkable C₃H₈ uptake capacity (up to 10.9 mmol/g) and the highly desirable yet uncommon C₃H₈ selectivity (up to 1.54 at 0.1 bar and 1.44 at 1 bar). The selectivity-capacity synergy endows them with record-performing C₃H₈/C₃H₆ separation potential (i.e., C₃H₆ recovered from the mixture). Moreover, these CPMs exhibit outstanding properties including high stability, low regeneration energy, and multimodular chemical and geometrical tunability within the same isoreticular framework. The high C₃H₈/C₃H₆ separation performance was further confirmed by the breakthrough experiments.

Keywords: metal−organic framework; propane; propylene; selectivity; separation.