Purification of Propylene and Ethylene by a Robust Metal–Organic Framework Mediated by Host–Guest Interactions

Industrial purification of propylene and ethylene requires cryogenic distillation and selective hydrogenation over palladium catalysts to remove propane, ethane and/or trace amounts of acetylene. Here, we report the excellent separation of equimolar mixtures of propylene/propane and ethylene/ethane, and of a 1/100 mixture of acetylene/ethylene by a highly robust microporous material, MFM‐520, under dynamic conditions. In situ synchrotron single crystal X‐ray diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering and analysis of adsorption thermodynamic parameters reveal that a series of synergistic host–guest interactions involving hydrogen bonding and π⋅⋅⋅π stacking interactions underpin the cooperative binding of alkenes within the pore. Notably, the optimal pore geometry of the material enables selective accommodation of acetylene. The practical potential of this porous material has been demonstrated by fabricating mixed‐matrix membranes comprising MFM‐520, Matrimid and PIM‐1, and these exhibit not only a high permeability for propylene (≈1984 Barrer), but also a separation factor of 7.8 for an equimolar mixture of propylene/propane at 298 K. A comprehensive understanding of the host–guest chemistry of MFM‐520 at a molecular level rationalises the observed high selectivity towards olefins, and informs future designs of improved materials for challenging olefin/paraffin separations in industry.