Electrochemical synthesis of continuous metal–organic framework membranes for separation of hydrocarbons

Sheng Zhou, Osama Shekhah, Jiangtao Jia, Justyna Czaban-Jóźwiak, Prashant M. Bhatt, Adrian Ramírez, Jorge Gascon and Mohamed Eddaoudi ()
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Sheng Zhou: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Osama Shekhah: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Jiangtao Jia: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Justyna Czaban-Jóźwiak: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Prashant M. Bhatt: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Adrian Ramírez: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Jorge Gascon: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Mohamed Eddaoudi: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

Nature Energy, 2021, vol. 6, issue 9, 882-891

Abstract: Abstract Membrane-based approaches can offer energy-efficient and cost-effective methods for various separation processes. Practical membranes must have high permselectivity at industrially relevant high pressures and under aggressive conditions, and be manufacturable in a scalable and robust fashion. We report a versatile electrochemical directed-assembly strategy to fabricate polycrystalline metal–organic framework membranes for separation of hydrocarbons. We fabricate a series of face-centred cubic metal–organic framework membranes based on 12-connected rare-earth or zirconium hexanuclear clusters with distinct ligands. In particular, the resultant fumarate-based membranes containing contracted triangular apertures as sole entrances to the pore system enable molecular-sieving separation of propylene/propane and butane/isobutane mixtures. Prominently, increasing the feed pressure to the industrially practical value of 7 atm promoted a desired enhancement in both the total flux and separation selectivity. Process design analysis demonstrates that, for propylene/propane separation, the deployment of such face-centred cubic Zr-fumarate-based metal–organic framework membranes in a hybrid membrane–distillation system offers the potential to decrease the energy input by nearly 90% relative to a conventional single distillation process.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41560-021-00881-y

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