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Pore Aperture Control Toward Size-Exclusion-Based Hydrocarbon Separations |
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| Authors: | Prof Bhajan Lal Karam B Idrees Dr Haomiao Xie Courtney S Smoljan Saman Shafaie Prof Timur Islamoglu Prof Omar K Farha |
| Institution: | 1. Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 60208 Evanston, IL, USA
Institute of Chemistry, Shah Abdul Latif University, 66020 Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan These authors contributed equally to this work.;2. Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 60208 Evanston, IL, USA;3. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, 60208 Evanston, IL, USA;4. Integrated Molecular Structure and Education Center, Northwestern University, 60208 Evanston, IL, USA |
| Abstract: | Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been proposed as a promising material for non-thermal chemical separations owing to their high structural diversity and tunability. Here, we report the synthesis of a zinc-based MOF containing a three-dimensional (3D) linker, bicyclo2.2.2]octane-1,4-dicarboxylic acid, with high thermal stability towards the separation of hexane isomers. The incorporation of the 3D linker enhances the structural stability and provides well-defined pore apertures/channels with sub-Ångstrom precision. This precision allowed for the separation of similarly sized hexane isomers based on subtle differences in their kinetic diameters. Multi-component liquid phase batch experiments confirmed the separation of hexanes mixture into linear, monobranched, and dibranched isomers. This work represents a significant milestone in the construction of stable Zn-based MOFs and the incorporation of 3D linkers as a potential solution to challenging separations. |
| Keywords: | Hexanes Metal–Organic Frameworks Separation Zn-MOF |