Sorption-enhanced dual-ligand MOF-based mixed-matrix membranes for CO₂ separation.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) are promising for gas separation.
• Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer tunable properties for enhanced adsorption.
• Achieving high CO2/N2 selectivity beyond established benchmarks remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a novel dual-ligand MOF, Al-Fum/Asp.
• To incorporate Al-Fum/Asp into PIM-1 to create advanced MMMs.
• To evaluate the CO2/N2 separation performance of the fabricated MMMs.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Al-Fum/Asp by partial substitution of fumarate with l-aspartic acid in Al-Fum.
• Fabrication of MMMs by incorporating Al-Fum/Asp into a PIM-1 matrix.
• Gas permeation experiments to assess CO2/N2 separation performance.

Main Results:

• The Al-Fum/Asp MOF was successfully synthesized.
• The presence of amino groups on Al-Fum/Asp enhanced CO2 adsorption.
• The MMMs incorporating Al-Fum/Asp exhibited CO2/N2 separation performance exceeding the 2019 Robeson upper bound.

Conclusions:

• Dual-ligand MOFs can be effectively designed for gas separation applications.
• Al-Fum/Asp MOFs show potential for high-performance CO2 capture.
• The developed MMMs represent a significant advancement in CO2/N2 separation technology.