Efficient C2H6/C2H4 adsorption separation by a microporous heterometal-organic framework.

[Display omitted] • CuIn(ina) 4 exhibits preferential adsorption of C 2 H 6 over C 2 H 4. • C 2 H 6 /C 2 H 4 selectivity of CuIn(ina) 4 can be as high as 2.3 at ambient conditions. • Separation potential of CuIn(ina) 4 can reached up to 1578 mmol/L. Purification of ethylene (C 2 H 4) is an essential and energy-intensive process in the petrochemical industry. Adsorption separation using ethane (C 2 H 6)-selective porous adsorbents is a highly efficient and straightforward method for obtaining polymer-grade C 2 H 4 from a binary C 2 H 6 /C 2 H 4 mixture. However, the design and construction of C 2 H 6 -selective adsorbents are very challenging tasks. Herein, we demonstrate a microporous heterometal-organic framework, CuIn(ina) 4 , can preferentially enrich C 2 H 6 than C 2 H 4. Experimental results revealed that CuIn(ina) 4 exhibited remarkable separation performance for the C 2 H 6 /C 2 H 4 mixture with a high C 2 H 6 loading capacity (3.3 mmol/g), high IAST selectivity (2.3) and separation potential (1578 mmol/L for equimolar C 2 H 6 /C 2 H 4 mixture) under ambient conditions. The effectiveness of CuIn(ina) 4 for C 2 H 6 /C 2 H 4 adsorption separation was confirmed by theoretical calculations and breakthrough experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]