Microporous Fluorinated MOF with Multiple Adsorption Sites for Efficient Recovery of C₂H₆ and C₃H₈ from Natural Gas

Abstract

Purifying C₂H₆/C₃H₈ from a ternary natural gas mixture through adsorption separation is an important but challenging process in the petrochemical industry. To address this challenge, the industry is exploring effective strategies for designing high-performance adsorbents. In this study, we present two metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), DMOF-TF and DMOF-(CF₃)₂, which have fluorinated pores obtained by substituting linker ligands in the host material. This pore engineering strategy not only provides suitable pore confinement but also enhances the adsorption capacities for C₂H₆/C₃H₈ by providing additional binding sites. Theoretical calculations and transient breakthrough experiments show that the introduction of F atoms not only improves the efficiency of natural gas separation but also provides multiple adsorption sites for C₂H₆/C₃H₈-framework interactions.