Optimizing the Microenvironment of Pores in an MOF for Boosting Ethylene Purification from a Ternary-Component Mixture

Designing an adsorbent that can simultaneously trap acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) and ethane (C 2 H 6 ) impurities for the one-step purification of ethylene (C 2 H 4 ) remains a challenge. Herein, we constructed a novel Cu-based metal–organic framework (MOF), BUT-321, which exhibits the selective adsorption of C 2 H 2 and C 2 H 6 over C 2 H 4 . It was found that the high density of oxygen binding sites within the pore channels of BUT-321 can build an optimal environment for stronger interactions with C 2 H 6, compared to the isostructural MOF BUT-320. Column breakthrough experiments confirm the exceptional C 2 H 4 separation performance of BUT-321 from both binary (1:1 for C 2 H 2 /C 2 H 4 or C 2 H 6 /C 2 H 4 ) and ternary (1:1:1 for C 2 H 2 /C 2 H 4 /C 2 H 6 ) gas mixtures in a single step. In addition, BUT-321 exhibits good chemical stability in water and an alkaline solution, combined with its synthesis scalability, economic viability, and recyclability, thus facilitating the application for the one-step C 2 H 4 purification.