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The scaling-up issue, mechanical instability, and possible packing capacity loss during pelletization remain as the major obstacles for the application of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) in practic...

Engineering metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for adsorptive ethylene/ethane separation has shown bright prospects for replacing the energy-intensive cryogenic distillation process. Herein, we demons...

Advanced porous materials (APMs) constructed from structure-encoded building blocks present an unprecedented degree for molecular design, and have demonstrated class-leading performance in numerous applications. However, the development of economically viable and sustainable synthetic means of production is a critical prerequisite to translate APMs to real-world applications. In this Perspective, we first consider the diverse synthetic routes to APMs—metal/covalent organic frameworks (MOFs/COFs), porous organic polymers (POPs) and porous molecular solids—and highlight the challenges for scalable and sustainable synthesis. Subsequently, we illustrate concepts to guide the sustainable synthesis of APMs with recent examples in the literature. Lastly, we present our outlook for the translation of molecular design to scalable APM production.

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) have gained great attention for the efficient CO2 removal from raw nature gas or biogas (CO2/CH4 separation) and flue gas (CO2/N2 separation). Nevertheless, the development of high-performance MMMs for industrial applications is largely limited by the lack of suitable porous fillers. Herein, a novel ionic covalent organic polymer (ICOP-1) consisting of gas selective pores and hollow cavities is facilely fabricated using a metal triflate catalyzed condensation reaction. Considering its unique structural properties, ICOP-1 is explored as a novel filler to enhance the gas separation properties of polysulfone (PSf) membranes. Defect-free MMMs are successfully prepared owing to the high polymer–filler affinity originating from the organic nature of these two phases. Besides, the large cavities and size-selective pores of ICOP-1 lead to a simultaneous increase in membrane CO2 permeability and CO2/CH4, CO2/N2 selectivities. With the addition of only 0.5 wt % of ICOP-1 fillers, the a...

Postcombustion CO2 capture from wet flue gas is a daunting challenge that metal–organic-framework-based (MOF-based) adsorbents need to address, because the moisture in the gas stream may not only hydrolyze the coordination bonds of MOFs but also be competitively adsorbed in MOFs leading to compromised CO2 capture performance. In this study, two isostructural water-stable MOFs decorated with alkyl groups, namely, UiO-66(Zr)-(OAc)2 and UiO-66(Zr)-(OPr)2, are synthesized from UiO-66(Zr)-(OH)2 via a facile postsynthetic esterification strategy and evaluated for their water affinity and CO2 capture performance. The increased water contact angle and reduced water vapor capacity at 60% relative humidity indicate the positive role of the propionyl group of UiO-66(Zr)-(OPr)2 in reducing material hydrophilicity. When the adsorbent beds are not fully saturated with water, breakthrough experiments using simulated wet flue gas reveal that UiO-66(Zr)-(OPr)2 possesses a CO2/N2 adsorption selectivity of 76.6, which is 22...