Robust metal-organic framework materials for low-carbon purification of lower olefins

Global production of olefins currently exceeds that of any other chemicals. This process involves the cracking of long-chain hydrocarbons into short-chain (C1-C3) molecules, with ethylene and propene being especially valuable to the polymer industry. The coexistence of olefin and paraffin in the crude product requires their separation, which is highly challenging due to their similar physical properties. Leading technology replies on cryogenic distallation, which is extremely energy intensive. We have recently developed two ultramicroporous robust metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), namely Cu-DMP and Al-BTCA, which show great promise for selective alkane adsorption in such mixtures, resulting in their separation. We request 12 shifts on ID22 to investigate the binding domains of C2 and C3 hydrocarbons within these MOFs. The ultra-high resolution, gas-cell and rapid data collection of ID22 make it ideal for these challenging experiments.