Computational Screening of MOFs for Acetylene Separation

A Pillared-Layer Coordination Network for One-Step Ethylene Production from Ternary CO2/C2H2/C2H4 Gas Mixture

One-step separation of ethylene (C2H4) from multicomponent mixtures poses significant challenges in the petrochemical industry due to the high similarity of involved gas molecules. Herein, we report a pillared-layer coordination network named Zn-fa-mtrz (H2fa = fumaric acid; Hmtrz = 3-methyl-1,2,4-triazole) possessing pore surfaces decorated with methyl groups and electronegative N/O atoms. Molecular modeling reveals that the pore surface of Zn-fa-mtrz provides more and stronger multiple interaction sites to simultaneously enhance the adsorption affinity for CO2 and C2H2 other than C2H4. The experimental and simulated breakthrough experiments demonstrate the ability to produce high-purity C2H4 (>99.97%) in one-step from ternary CO2/C2H2/C2H4 gas mixtures.

Computational Screening of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Ethylene Purification from Ethane/Ethylene/Acetylene Mixture

Identification of high-performing sorbent materials is the key step in developing energy-efficient adsorptive separation processes for ethylene production. In this work, a computational screening of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for the purification of ethylene from the ternary ethane/ethylene/acetylene mixture under thermodynamic equilibrium conditions is conducted. Modified evaluation metrics are proposed for an efficient description of the performance of MOFs for the ternary mixture separation. Two different separation schemes are proposed and potential MOF adsorbents are identified accordingly. Finally, the relationships between the MOF structural characteristics and its adsorption properties are discussed, which can provide valuable information for optimal MOF design.

Wells-Dawson phosphotungstates as mushroom tyrosinase inhibitors: a speciation study

In order to elucidate the active polyoxotungstate (POT) species that inhibit fungal polyphenol oxidase (AbPPO4) in sodium citrate buffer at pH 6.8, four Wells-Dawson phosphotungstates [α/β-PV2WVI18O62]6- (intact form), [α2-PV2WVI17O61]10- (monolacunary), [PV2WVI15O56]12- (trilacunary) and [H2PV2WVI12O48]12- (hexalacunary) were investigated. The speciation of the POT solutions under the dopachrome assay (50 mM Na-citrate buffer, pH 6.8; L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine as a substrate) conditions were determined by 183W-NMR, 31P-NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The intact Wells-Dawson POT [α/β-PV2WVI18O62]6- shows partial (~ 69%) disintegration into the monolacunary [α2-PV2WVI17O61]10- anion with moderate activity (Ki = 9.7 mM). The monolacunary [α2-PV2WVI17O61]10- retains its structural integrity and exhibits the strongest inhibition of AbPPO4 (Ki = 6.5 mM). The trilacunary POT [PV2WVI15O56]12- rearranges to the more stable monolacunary [α2-PV2WVI17O61]10- (~ 62%) accompanied by release of free phosphates and shows the weakest inhibition (Ki = 13.6 mM). The hexalacunary anion [H2PV2WVI12O48]12- undergoes time-dependent hydrolysis resulting in a mixture of [H2PV2WVI12O48]12-, [PV8WVI48O184]40-, [PV2WVI19O69(H2O)]14- and [α2-PV2WVI17O61]10- which together leads to comparable inhibitory activity (Ki = 7.5 mM) after 48 h. For the solutions of [α/β-PV2WVI18O62]6-, [α2-PV2WVI17O61]10- and [PV2WVI15O56]12- the inhibitory activity is correlated to the degree of their rearrangement to [α2-PV2WVI17O61]10-. The rearrangement of hexalacunary [H2PV2WVI12O48]12- into at least four POTs with a negligible amount of monolacunary anion interferes with the correlation of activity to the degree of their rearrangement to [α2-PV2WVI17O61]10-. The good inhibitory effect of the Wells-Dawson [α2-PV2WVI17O61]10- anion is explained by the low charge density of its protonated forms Hx[α2-PV2WVI17O61](10-x)- (x = 3 or 4) at pH 6.8.

Significantly Enhancing the Lithium Ionic Conductivity of Metal-Organic Frameworks via a Postsynthetic Modification Strategy

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), due to their possessing a porous structure, are potential candidates for solid-state ionic conduction materials. Moreover, uncoordinated carboxylic acid groups (-COOH) of MOFs can be used as postsynthetic modification sites, which are favorable for lithium ion exchange. Herein, we synthesized a unique multiple carboxylic zinc metal-organic framework (Zn-MOF-COOH) containing uncoordinated carboxylic acid groups. Zn-MOF-COOLi was synthesized through deprotonation using LiOH via a straightforward acid-base reaction at room temperature (RT), thereby exhibiting better good electrochemical properties. The lithium ionic conductivity (σ) increased from 1.81 × 10^-5 to 1.65 × 10^-4 S·cm^-1, lithium ion transference number (t_Li⁺) rose from 0.67 to 0.77, and the electrochemical window improved from 2.0-5.5 to 1.5-6.5 V. This work offers a new strategy to improve the σ of MOFs and a new perspective toward manufacturing of high-performance solid-state ionic conduction materials.

Computational design of heterogeneous catalysts and gas separation materials for advanced chemical processing

Functional materials are widely used in chemical industry in order to reduce the process cost while simultaneously increase the product quality. Considering their significant effects, systematic methods for the optimal selection and design of materials are essential. The conventional synthesis-and-test method for materials development is inefficient and costly. Additionally, the performance of the resulting materials is usually limited by the designer’s expertise. During the past few decades, computational methods have been significantly developed and they now become a very important tool for the optimal design of functional materials for various chemical processes. This article selectively focuses on two important process functional materials, namely heterogeneous catalyst and gas separation agent. Theoretical methods and representative works for computational screening and design of these materials are reviewed.

Optimizing Multivariate Metal-Organic Frameworks for Efficient C2H2/CO2 Separation

Adsorptive separation of acetylene (C₂H₂) from carbon dioxide (CO₂) promises a practical way to produce high-purity C₂H₂ required for industrial applications. However, challenges exist in the pore environment engineering of porous materials to recognize two molecules due to their similar molecular sizes and physical properties. Herein, we report a strategy to optimize pore environments of multivariate metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for efficient C₂H₂/CO₂ separation by tuning metal components, functionalized linkers, and terminal ligands. The optimized material UPC-200(Al)-F-BIM, constructed from Al³⁺ clusters, fluorine-functionalized organic linkers, and benzimidazole terminal ligands, demonstrated the highest separation efficiency (C₂H₂/CO₂ uptake ratio of 2.6) and highest C₂H₂ productivity among UPC-200 systems. Experimental and computational studies revealed the contribution of small pore size and polar functional groups on the C₂H₂/CO₂ selectivity and indicated the practical C₂H₂/CO₂ separation of UPC-200(Al)-F-BIM.

Accelerated C2H2/CO2 Separation by a Se-Functionalized Porous Coordination Polymer with Low Binding Energy

High-quality pure acetylene (C₂H₂) is a kind of crucial starting material for various value-added products. However, selective capture of C₂H₂ from the main impurity of CO₂ via porous absorbents is a great challenge, as they possess extremely similar kinetic diameters and boiling points, as well as the explosive and reactive properties of C₂H₂. Herein, we report a porous coordination polymer (PCP), (NTU-55), which assembled from the coordination between a Cu dimer and a newly designed ligand with a nonmetal selenium (Se) site. Static single-component adsorption and dynamic breakthrough experiments reveal that desolvated NTU-55 can completely adsorb C₂H₂ from the C₂H₂/CO₂ mixture (1/4, v/v) at 298 K, along with higher C₂H₂ capacity and much lower binding energy. The origin of this separation, as comprehensively revealed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, is derived from the interaction discriminatory of C₂H₂ and CO₂ toward accessible Se and Cu adsorption sites. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time to find the positive effect of nonmetal Se sites for selective C₂H₂ capture.

Synthesis of Nano/Microsized MIL-101Cr Through Combination of Microwave Heating and Emulsion Technology for Mixed-Matrix Membranes

Nano/microsized MIL-101Cr was synthesized by microwave heating of emulsions for the use as a composite with Matrimid mixed-matrix membranes (MMM) to enhance the performance of a mixed-gas-separation. As an example, we chose CO₂/CH₄ separation. Although the incorporation of MIL-101Cr in MMMs is well-known, the impact of nanosized MIL-101Cr in MMMs is new and shows an improvement compared to microsized MIL-101Cr under the same conditions and mixed-gas permeation. In order to reproducibly obtain nanoMIL-101Cr microwave heating was supplemented by carrying out the reaction of chromium nitrate and 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid in heptane-in-water emulsions with the anionic surfactant sodium oleate as emulsifier. The use of this emulsion with the phase inversion temperature (PIT) method offered controlled nucleation and growth of nanoMIL-101 particles to an average size of <100 nm within 70 min offering high apparent BET surface areas (2,900 m² g^-1) and yields of 45%. Concerning the CO₂/CH₄ separation, the best result was obtained with 24 wt.% of nanoMIL-101Cr@Matrimid, leading to 32 Barrer in CO₂ permeability compared to six Barrer for the neat Matrimid polymer membrane and 21 Barrer for the maximum possible 20 wt.% of microMIL-101Cr@Matrimid. The nanosized filler allowed reaching a higher loading where the permeability significantly increased above the predictions from Maxwell and free-fractional-volume modeling. These improvements for MMMs based on nanosized MIL-101Cr are promising for other gas separations.