Conformation‐Controlled Molecular Sieving Effects for Membrane‐Based Propylene/Propane Separation

Abstract

Membrane‐based separation is poised to reduce the operation cost of propylene/propane separation; however, identifying a suitable molecular sieve for membrane development is still an ongoing challenge. Here, the successful identification and use of a metal–organic framework (MOF) material as fillers, namely, the Zr‐fum‐fcu‐MOF possessing an optimal contracted triangular pore‐aperture driving the efficient diffusive separation of propylene from propane in mixed‐matrix membranes are reported. It is demonstrated that the fabricated hybrid membranes display a high propylene/propane separation performance, far beyond the current trade‐off limit of polymer membranes with excellent properties under industrial conditions. Most importantly, the mechanism behind the exceptional high propylene/propane selectivity is delineated by exploring theoretically the efficiency of sieving of different conformers of propane through the hypothesized triangular rigid pore‐aperture of Zr‐fum‐fcu‐MOF.