Recent Progress and Challenges in the Field of Metal–Organic Framework-Based Membranes for Gas Separation

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) represent the largest class of materials among crystalline porous materials ever developed, and have attracted attention as core materials for separation technology. Their extremely uniform pore aperture and nearly unlimited structural and chemical characteristics have attracted great interest and promise for applying MOFs to adsorptive and membrane-based separations. This paper reviews the recent research into and development of MOF membranes for gas separation. Strategies for polycrystalline membranes and mixed-matrix membranes are discussed, with a focus on separation systems involving hydrocarbon separation, CO2 capture, and H2 purification. Challenges to and opportunities for the industrial deployment of MOF membranes are also discussed, providing guidance for the design and fabrication of future high-performance membranes. The contributions of the underlying mechanism to separation performance and adopted strategies and membrane-processing technologies for breaking the selectivity/permeability trade-off are discussed.