Work

Oriented mixed‐matrix metal–organic framework membranes with geometrically engineered rigid lattice for gas separation

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Mixed‐matrix metal–organic frameworks (MMMOF) membranes combine the advantages of polymeric materials and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to enhance molecular separations. However, achieving optimal separation performance depends on the characteristics of the MOFs and their subsequent impact on channel accessibility. Herein, we incorporated geometrically engineered rigid lattices of Cu 2 (pzdc) 2 (pyz) nanosheets with optimized orientation in 6FDA‐DAM to maximize the exposure of molecular‐sieving pores. These engineered Cu 2 (pzdc) 2 (pyz) frameworks formed a rigid triangular structure exhibiting 35% higher CO 2 /CH 4 adsorption selectivity than the pristine MOFs. Furthermore, the oriented MMMOF membranes demonstrated a 104% increase in CO 2 /CH 4 selectivity compared to pure polymer membranes, while maintaining a high CO 2 permeability of 2061 Barrer, surpassing the 2018 mixed‐gas upper bound. This work demonstrates that synergistic control of framework rigidity and oriented pore alignment is a powerful strategy to overcome the “trade‐off” between permeability and selectivity, providing new inspiration for the design of high‐performance molecular sieving membranes.

Source: AIChE Journal

DOI: 10.1002/aic.70256

Authors: Qing Li, Kai Qu, Zhiyuan Yi, Linlong Zhou, Shuyun Gu, Zhi Xu

Institutions: East China University of Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering

Language: English

Topic: Membrane Separation and Gas Transport

Subfield: Mechanical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key Research and Development Program of China

Awards: 二维分子筛质子通道的构筑及其液流电池隔膜性能研究, G8050218364