Control of zeolite pore interior for chemoselective alkyne/olefin separations

TLDR

Zeolites that preferentially adsorb alkynes over alkenes must be separated from alkynes before polymer conversion, but current methods such as hydrogenation produce unwanted alkanes and zeolites are generally inefficient due to similar sizes and volatilities. The authors incorporated atomically dispersed divalent transition metal cations into faujasite zeolite, and the nickel‑containing analog efficiently removed alkynes from olefins through chemoselective binding at open nickel(II) sites, retaining separation selectivities of 100 and 92 for acetylene over ethylene and propyne over propylene, respectively, across ten adsorption–desorption cycles at ambient conditions with water and CO₂. Chai et al., Science, p.

Abstract

Zeolites that prefer alkynes Alkenes such as ethylene and propene must be separated from alkynes before they can be converted in polymers. Drawbacks in current methods, such as hydrogenation of alkynes producing unwanted alkanes, has spurred interest in sorption separation methods. Zeolites have generally been inefficient, given the similar sizes and volatilities of the molecules. Chai et al. incorporated atomically dispersed divalent transition metal cations into faujasite zeolite and found that the nickel-containing analog efficiently removed alkynes from olefins through chemoselective binding at open nickel(II) sites. At ambient conditions in the presence of water and carbon dioxide, the zeolites retained separation selectivities of 100 and 92, respectively, for acetylene over ethylene and propyne over propylene for 10 adsorption-desorption cycles. Science , this issue p. 1002