Shaped layered two-dimensional fluorinated metal-organic frameworks for highly efficient acetylene/ethylene separation

The deep removal of trace acetylene from ethylene is crucial for producing polymer-grade ethylene. Cutting-edge powder-form porous adsorbents represented by layered two-dimensional fluorinated MOFs have shown attrac-tive acetylene/ethylene separation ability, but few studies have landed on the shaping of MOFs essential for subsequent industrialization, especially on the layered materials lacking rigid chemical bonds. Here, we report three novel layered MOF pellets based on wet granulation via polyhydroxy binders, which not only achieved efficient acetylene/ethylene separation but also exhibited excellent mechanical properties and stability. The result of the scanning electron microscope indicated that a solid bridge was formed in ZUL-300@HPC, enhancing the adhesion between the crystal particles while minimizing the pore blockage, which affords exceptional 0.01 bar acetylene uptake of 2.60 mmol/g along with acetylene/ethylene (1/99, v/v) selectivity of 111 at 298 K. Breakthrough experiments showed that ZUL-300@HPC achieved record 99.9999% ethylene productivity of 150.01 mmol/g for acetylene/ethylene (1/99, v/v) and maintained excellent alkyne removal ability even for 11-component complex mixture.

Automated summary

This study reports novel phosphonic-acid-grouped metal-organic framework (MOF) pellets based on wet granulation with polyhydroxy binders, which achieved efficient acetylene/ethylene separation and exhibited excellent mechanical properties and stability.