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Updated: Mar 7, 2026
Electrophoretic Crystallization of Ultrathin High-performance Metal-organic Framework Membranes
Published on: August 16, 2018
A Metal Chelating Porous Polymeric Support: The Missing Link for a Defect-Free Metal-Organic Framework Composite
Eva Barankova1, Xiaoyu Tan1, Luis Francisco Villalobos1
1Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Abstract:
Since the discovery of size-selective metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), researchers have tried to incorporate these materials into gas separation membranes. Impressive gas selectivities were found, but these MOF membranes were mostly made on inorganic supports, which are generally too bulky and expensive for industrial gas separation. Forming MOF layers on porous polymer supports is industrially attractive but technically challenging. Two features to overcome these problems are described: 1) a metal chelating support polymer to bind the MOF layer, and 2) control of MOF crystal growth by contra-diffusion, aiming at a very thin nanocrystalline MOF layer. Using a metal chelating poly-thiosemicarbazide (PTSC) support and adjusting the metal and organic ligand concentrations carefully, a very compact ZIF-8 (ZIF=zeolitic imidazolate framework) layer was produced that displayed interference colors because of its smooth surface and extreme thinness-within the range of visible light. High performances were measured in terms of hydrogen/propane (8350) and propylene/propane (150) selectivity.
