Tetrazole–Viologen-based Flexible Microporous Metal–Organic Framework with High CO2 Selective Uptake

A flexible metal–organic framework (FMOF) with functionalized pores was hydrothermally synthesized to improve CO2 affinity and selectivity. The obtained FMOF exhibits a reversible shrinking and swelling framework transformation, which is triggered by the adsorption of CO2 rather than by the adsorption of N2 and CH4. At ambient temperature and an atmospheric pressure, this FMOF shows not only a high CO2 uptake (98 cm3 g–1, 19.3 wt %) but also a good calculated adsorption selectivity for CO2 over both CH4 and N2 (CO2/CH4 50:50 v/v: 28.6:1, CO2/N2 15:85 v/v: 210.4:1 calculated by ideal adsorbed solution theory), indicating potential applications in the purification of natural gas and industrial flue gas.