Direct Ethylene Purification from a Four-Component Gas Mixture by a Microporous MOF with Aromatic Pore Surface and Carboxylates.

The single-step purification of ethylene (CH) from a mixture of carbon dioxide (CO), acetylene (CH), ethylene (CH), and ethane (CH) was achieved through MOF , where the aromatic pore surface and carboxylates selectively recognized CH and CO, respectively, resulting in a reversal of the adsorption orders for both gases (CH > CH and CO > CH). Breakthrough testing verified that the CH purification ability could be enhanced 2.6 times after adding impure CO. Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations demonstrate that there are interactions between CO and CH molecules as well as between CO molecules themselves. These interactions contribute to the enhancement of the CH purification ability upon the addition of CO and the increased adsorption of CO.