Tuning Pore Size in Square-Lattice Coordination Networks for Size-Selective Sieving of CO2

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 55; no. 35; pp. 10268 - 10272
• Main Authors: Chen, Kai-Jie, Madden, David G., Pham, Tony, Forrest, Katherine A., Kumar, Amrit, Yang, Qing-Yuan, Xue, Wei, Space, Brian, Perry IV, John J., Zhang, Jie-Peng, Chen, Xiao-Ming, Zaworotko, Michael J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Blackwell Publishing Ltd 22.08.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Edition: International ed. in English
• Subjects: Atmospheric models; Carbon dioxide; Carbon sequestration; CO2 separation; Flue gas; gas sorption; Materials selection; Methane; Molecular modelling; molecular sieving effect; Natural gas; Pore size; Porosity; Porous materials; Purification; Query languages; Quinoline; Selectivity; stability; supramolecular isomerism; Tuning; molecular sieving effect; gas sorption; CO2 separation; stability; supramolecular isomerism
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201603934

Porous materials capable of selectively capturing CO2 from flue‐gases or natural gas are of interest in terms of rising atmospheric CO2 levels and methane purification. Size‐exclusive sieving of CO2 over CH4 and N2 has rarely been achieved. Herein we show that a crystal engineering approach to tuning of pore‐size in a coordination network, [Cu(quinoline‐5‐carboxyate)2]n (Qc‐5‐Cu) ena+bles ultra‐high selectivity for CO2 over N2 (SCN≈40 000) and CH4 (SCM≈3300). Qc‐5‐Cu‐sql‐β, a narrow pore polymorph of the square lattice (sql) coordination network Qc‐5‐Cu‐sql‐α, adsorbs CO2 while excluding both CH4 and N2. Experimental measurements and molecular modeling validate and explain the performance. Qc‐5‐Cu‐sql‐β is stable to moisture and its separation performance is unaffected by humidity. Sieves you right: Crystal engineering of supramolecular isomers of [Cu(quinoline‐5‐carboxyate)2]n metal–organic materials enables the right pore‐chemistry for ultra‐high CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 selectivity even in the presence of water vapor.