Microporous Metal–Organic Frameworks for Gas Separation

Microporous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are comparatively new porous materials. Because the pores within such MOFs can be readily tuned through the interplay of both metal‐containing clusters and organic linkers to induce their size‐selective sieving effects, while the pore surfaces can be straightforwardly functionalized to enforce their different interactions with gas molecules, MOF materials are very promising for gas separation. Furthermore, the high porosities of such materials can enable microporous MOFs with optimized gas separation selectivity and capacity to be targeted. This Focus Review highlights recent significant advances in microporous MOFs for gas separation.     

Enantioselective Recognition and Separation by a Homochiral Porous Lamellar Solid Based on Unsymmetrical Schiff Base Metal Complexes

Our Schiff has come in : A homochiral porous lamellar solid based on chiral unsymmetrical Schiff base metal complexes was assembled by using coordination and hydrogen bonds (see picture). The host features a flexible helical framework and chiral amphiphilic channel surfaces capable of multiple interactions with guest species.

     

Targeted Functionalization of Porous Materials for Separation of Alcohol/Water Mixtures by Modular Assembly

Three isoreticular hydrogen‐bonded frameworks with functionalized pore structures were constructed by a modular self‐assembly process in which a series of amino acids with various substituents serve as facile exchange subassemblies to decorate the pore wall. The ordered amino acid side‐chain groups in the pore channels play an important role in determining the adsorption behavior of the framework materials, and ensure exclusive adsorption of methanol/water over ethanol. Gas‐chromatographic separation experiments demonstrated that alcohols can be efficiently separated from ternary water/methanol/ethanol mixtures and revealed a key influence of the adsorbate–host framework interaction on the practical separation performance of mixtures.     

Reverse‐Selective Microporous Membrane for Gas Separation

Sort the bigs from the smalls : Reverse‐selective membranes, through which bigger molecules selectively permeate, are attractive for developing chemical processes. A new adsorption‐based reverse‐selective membrane that utilizes a Na cation occluded in a zeolitic framework is presented. The membrane developed enables the selective permeation and separation of bigger polar molecules, such as methanol and water, from hydrogen above 473 K.

     

Two‐Dimensional Microporous Material‐based Mixed Matrix Membranes for Gas Separation

Since the discovery of graphene and its derivatives, the development and application of two‐dimensional (2D) materials have attracted enormous attention. 2D microporous materials, such as metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C₃N₄) and so on, hold great potential to be used in gas separation membranes because of their high aspect ratio and homogeneously distributed nanometer pores, which are beneficial for improving gas permeability and selectivity. This review briefly summarizes the recent design and fabrication of 2D microporous materials, as well as their applications in mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) for gas separation. The enhanced separation performances of the membranes and their long‐term stability are also introduced. Challenges and the latest development of newly synthesized 2D microporous materials are finally discussed to foresee the potential opportunities for 2D microporous material‐based MMMs.     

Synthesis,Structure, and Properties of α,β‐Linked Oligothiazoles with Controlled Sequence

α,β‐Linked oligothiazoles with head‐to‐tail connectivity are presented as a new family of helical scaffolds. Combinations of palladium‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reactions at the 5‐ and 4‐positions of 2‐phenylthiazole led to the synthesis of oligo(2‐phenylthiazoles) with ortho linkages with a variety of defined sequences. The secondary structures of the α,β‐linked oligo(2‐phenylthiazoles) showed a clear dependence on their sequences. X‐ray crystallography of the trimer, tetramer, and hexamer with head‐to‐tail connection revealed the formation of a helical structure, which was stabilized by a combination of intramolecular forces, including interheteroatom (S???N), CH–π, and π–π interactions. The introduction of a chiral end‐group successfully led to the induction of chirality into the helical conformations. Programmable sequences for controlled geometries and photofunctions have been demonstrated through the manifold connection pathways in α,β‐linked oligothiazoles.     

Cover Picture: Reverse‐Selective Microporous Membrane for Gas Separation (Chem. Asian J. 7/2009)

Reverse‐selective membranes , through which bigger molecules selectively permeate, are attractive for developing chemical processes utilizing hydrogen because they can maintain the high partial pressure of hydrogen required for further downstream utilization. Although several of these chemical processes are operated above 473 K, membranes with outstanding reverse‐selective separation performance at these temperatures are still to be reported. M. Matsukata et al. propose a new adsorption‐based reverse‐selective membrane that utilizes a Na cation occluded in a zeolitic framework. The membrane developed in this work enables selective permeation and separation of bigger polar molecules, such as methanol and water, from hydrogen above 473 K. For more information, see their Full Paper on page 1070 ff.

     

自具微孔高分子气体分离膜的结构调控与改性研究

自具微孔高分子（polymers of intrinsic microporosity, PIMs）是近年来出现的一种新型有机微孔材料,由含有扭曲结构的刚性单体聚合而成,具有比表面积高、化学和物理性质稳定、微孔结构可控等优点,在均相催化、氢气储存等方面表现出巨大的应用潜力。因其优越的气体分离性能,PIMs气体分离膜更是吸引了众多研究者的关注,发展迅速。本文总结了PIMs的分类及其在气体分离膜中的应用,重点介绍了PIMs气体分离膜的结构调控与改性方面的研究进展,分析了PIMs的分子结构与气体分离性能间的内在关联,最后提出了目前研究中存在的一些问题并对其发展做出了简要的评述。     

Intrinsically Microporous Polyesters From Betulin – Toward Renewable Materials for Gas Separation Made From Birch Bark

Betulin, an abundant triterpene, can be extracted from birch bark and can be used as a renewable monomer in the synthesis of microporous polyesters. Cross‐linked networks and hyperbranched polymers are accessible by an A₂ + B₃ reaction, with betulin being the A₂ monomer and B₃ being a trifunctional acid chloride. Reaction of betulin with a diacid dichloride results in linear, soluble polyesters. The present communication proves that the polyreaction follows the classic schemes of polycondensation reactions. The resulting polymers are analyzed with regard to their micro‐porosity by gas sorption, NMR spectroscopy, and X‐ray scattering methods. The polymers feature intrinsic microporosity, having ultrasmall pores, which makes them candidates for gas separation membranes, e.g., for the separation of CO₂ from N₂.     

The Honeysuckle and the Bindweed Revisited: Synthesis and Stereochemistry of Extended Helical Structures from Coordination Complexes

We report structural studies of a chiral tridentate ligand which forms helical cubanes with cobalt(II) and manganese(II). A quadruple helicate with (P)-chirality is obtained using a (S)-ligand with cobalt(II) but the ligand binds manganese(II) in one of two possible orientations and either (P)- or (M)-quadruple helicates may be observed for a given ligand enantiomer. The helicates may be linked into extended structures by p-nitrobenzoate capping ligands which show stacking interactions with neighbouring complexes. With cobalt(II) we find an extended helical structure with (M)-chirality linking helicates which themselves have (P)-chirality. With manganese(II) we observe a remarkable structure with extended (M)-helices coexisting with extended (P)-helices.     

pH‐Modulated Molecular Assemblies and Surface Properties of Metal–Organic Supercontainers at the Air–Water Interface

The orientation of metal–organic supercontainer (MOSC) molecules in Langmuir films was systematically studied at the air–water interface. The acidity of the aqueous subphases plays a significant role in tuning the orientation of MOSC molecules in the Langmuir films. Furthermore, Langmuir–Blodgett films of MOSCs were prepared and the uniform multilayer structures demonstrated various surface properties, depending on their conditions of fabrication. Our use of Langmuir films provides a novel approach to access tunable assemblies of MOSC molecules in two‐dimensional thin films.     

Chemically Stable Covalent Organic Framework (COF)‐Polybenzimidazole Hybrid Membranes: Enhanced Gas Separation through Pore Modulation

Highly flexible, TpPa‐1@PBI‐BuI and TpBD@PBI‐BuI hybrid membranes based on chemically stable covalent organic frameworks (COFs) could be obtained with the polymer. The loading obtained was substantially higher (50 %) than generally observed with MOFs. These hybrid membranes show an exciting enhancement in permeability (about sevenfold) with appreciable separation factors for CO₂/N₂ and CO₂/CH₄. Further, we found that with COF pore modulation, the gas permeability can be systematically enhanced.     

Perturbation of Spin Crossover Behavior by Covalent Post‐Synthetic Modification of a Porous Metal–Organic Framework

Covalent post‐synthetic modification is a versatile method for gaining high‐level synthetic control over functionality within porous metal–organic frameworks and for generating new materials not accessible through one‐step framework syntheses. Here we apply this topotactic synthetic approach to a porous spin crossover framework and show through detailed comparison of the structures and properties of the as‐synthesised and covalently modified phases that the modification reaction proceeds quantitatively by a thermally activated single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal transformation to yield a material with lowered spin‐switching temperature, decreased lattice cooperativity, and altered color. Structure–function relationships to emerge from this comparison show that the approach provides a new route for tuning spin crossover through control over both outer‐sphere and steric interactions.     

Synthesis of Porous,Hollow Metal MCO3 (M=Mn,Co, Ca) Microstructures and Adsorption Properties Thereof

Porous, hollow metal carbonate microstructures show many unique properties, and are attractive for various applications. Herein, we report the first demonstration of a general strategy to synthesize hollow metal carbonate structures, including porous MnCO₃ hollow cubics, porous CoCO₃ hollow rhombuses and porous CaCO₃ hollow capsules. For example, the porous, hollow MnCO₃ microcubes show larger Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface areas of 359.5 m² g^?1, which is much larger than that of solid MnCO₃ microcubics (i.e., 12.03 m² g^?1). As a proof of concept, these porous MnCO₃ hollow microcubes were applied to water treatment and exhibited an excellent ability to remove organic pollutants in waste water owing to their hollow structure and large specific surface area.     

Trinuclear Cage‐Like ZnII Macrocyclic Complexes: Enantiomeric Recognition and Gas Adsorption Properties

Three zinc(II) ions in combination with two units of enantiopure [3+3] triphenolic Schiff‐base macrocycles 1 , 2 , 3 , or 4 form cage‐like chiral complexes. The formation of these complexes is accompanied by the enantioselective self‐recognition of chiral macrocyclic units. The X‐ray crystal structures of these trinuclear complexes show hollow metal–organic molecules. In some crystal forms, these barrel‐shaped complexes are arranged in a window‐to‐window fashion, which results in the formation of 1D channels and a combination of both intrinsic and extrinsic porosity. The microporous nature of the [Zn₃ 1 ₂] complex is reflected in its N₂, Ar, H₂, and CO₂ adsorption properties. The N₂ and Ar adsorption isotherms show pressure‐gating behavior, which is without precedent for any noncovalent porous material. A comparison of the structures of the [Zn₃ 1 ₂] and [Zn₃ 3 ₂] complexes with that of the free macrocycle H₃ 1 reveals a striking structural similarity. In H₃ 1 , two macrocyclic units are stitched together by hydrogen bonds to form a cage very similar to that formed by two macrocyclic units stitched together by Zn^II ions. This structural similarity is manifested also by the gas adsorption properties of the free H₃ 1 macrocycle. Recrystallization of [Zn₃ 1 ₂] in the presence of racemic 2‐butanol resulted in the enantioselective binding of (S)‐2‐butanol inside the cage through the coordination to one of the Zn^II ions.     

Light‐Driven Charge Separation in Isoxazolidine–Perylene Bisimide Dyads

A series of arrays for light‐driven charge separation is presented, in which perylene tetracarboxylic bisimide is the light‐absorbing chromophore and electron acceptor, whereas isoxazolidines are colourless electron donors, the electron‐releasing properties of which are increased with respect to the amino group by means of the α‐effect. Charge separation (CS) in toluene over a distance ranging from ≈10 to ≈16 Å, with efficiencies of ≈95 to ≈50 % and CS lifetimes from 300 ps to 15 ns, are demonstrated. In dichloromethane the charge recombination reaction is faster than charge separation, preventing accumulation of the CS state. The effects of solvent polarity and molecular structure are discussed in the frame of current theories.