A high-performance gas-separation membrane containing submicrometer-sized metal-organic framework crystals

Abstract

Well matched: Submicrometer-sized metal-organic framework (MOF) crystals (ZIF-90) were synthesized by a nonsolvent-induced crystallization technique and incorporated in mixed-matrix gas-separation membranes. ZIF-90/6FDA-DAM membranes (empty pink circle; beyond the upper bound for polymer membranes) show unprecedented high performance for CO2/CH4 separation by a MOF-based membrane. The key is the combination of the highly selective MOF and a highly permeable polymer. Copyright © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.