Exploiting Framework Flexibility of a Metal–Organic Framework for Selective Adsorption of Styrene over Ethylbenzene

The
separation of styrene and ethylbenzene mixtures is industrially important
and is currently performed in highly energy-intensive vacuum distillation
columns. The primary objective of our investigation is to offer an
energy-efficient alternative for selective adsorption of styrene by
a flexible metal–organic framework, DynaMOF-100. The structural
transformation of DynaMOF-100 is specifically triggered on inclusion
of styrene within the framework; this structural transformation is
reversible. The styrene/ethylbenzene adsorption selectivity, originated
as an outcome of the framework flexibility, is found to be much superior
to the only two MOFs yet reported, serving styrene/ethylbenzene separation
purpose.