Abstract
Zeolitic-imidazolate framework ZIF-8, a subclass of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with sodalite topology, has been a promising candidate for gas separation applications. Nevertheless, fabricating a high-flux propylene-selective ZIF-8 membrane is still challenging owing to the intrinsic crystalline nature of ZIF-8. In this study, an effective vapor-phase technique has been used to synthesize thin ZIF-8 membranes. ZnO was coated on anodic alumina oxide (AAO) supports via atomic layer deposition (ALD). The ZnO layer was vapor-phase treated with 2-methyl imidazole, which converted the ZnO layer to ZIF-8. The vapor-phase synthesized ZIF-8 membranes were evaluated for propylene/propane separation. With a ZIF-8 layer of ∼400 nm thickness, a high propylene/propane separation factor of 58 was obtained, concomitant with a high propylene permeance of 3.6 × 10-7 mol m-2 s-1 Pa-1. It was found that the vapor-phase solvent-free synthesis minimized the number of chemicals needed to fabricate a thin, highly permeable, and propylene-selective ZIF-8 membrane.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 8456-8464 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Energy and Fuels |
Volume | 37 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 15 2023 |
Externally published | Yes |
Funding
The authors gratefully acknowledge the funding provided by Oklahoma State University. The authors would like to thank Pamela Reynolds from Oklahoma State University for editing this manuscript.