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Updated: Jun 19, 2025
Development of Heterogeneous Enantioselective Catalysts using Chiral Metal-Organic Frameworks MOFs
Published on: January 17, 2020
A Propeller-Like Ligand-Directed Construction of a Tetranuclear Cerium-Organic Framework for Single-Step Ethylene
Ning Yang1, Hong-Xin Li1,2, Logan Ritter3
1Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Organometallic Material Chemistry, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China.
Abstract:
The efficient single-step purification of ethylene from ternary C2 mixtures containing ethane and acetylene is challenging and demanding. Herein, we introduce a novel cerium-based metal-organic framework (MOF) of Ce-NTB-rtk synthesized via a ligand-conformer strategy. The Ce-NTB-rtk features a rare tetranuclear cerium cluster and 2D kgd layers pillared by a 3D rtl framework concomitant with an extraordinary (3,3,12)-c network. The compound encompasses microporous cavities replete with a nonpolar microenvironment. Gas sorption and breakthrough experiments demonstrate its superior affinity for C2H6 and C2H2 over C2H4, enabling effective single-step ethylene purification. Computational simulations reveal that preferential adsorptions are facilitated by different interaction strengths of C-H···O hydrogen bonds. The performance of Ce-NTB-rtk in separation selectivity and regeneration capacity makes it a promising candidate for sustainable and cost-effective ethylene purification, showcasing the potential of MOFs in advanced gas separation applications.
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