Gas Separations With Redox-Active Metal-Organic Frameworks

Patent Status

Brief Description

With over 100 million tons produced annually, oxygen (O2) is among the most widely used commodity chemicals in the world -- and the demand for pure O2 could grow enormously due to its potential use in processes associated with the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel-burning plants.

The separation of O2 from air is currently done on a large scale using an energy-intensive cyrogenic distillation process. Zeolites are also used for O2 / N2 separation, however this process is inherently inefficient as the materials used adsorb N2 over O2 with poor selectivity.

To address this situation, researchers at UC Berkeley have developed novel redox-active metal-organic frameworks for gas separation. In comparison to conventional materials, the Berkeley material displays incredible separation properties at temperatures that are much more favorable to those currently used in numerous gas separaton and storage applications.   

Suggested uses

This material has promise in numerous gas separation and storage applications, including parrafin/olefin separations, oxygen/nitrogen separation, and nitric oxide/nitrous oxide separation. More specifically, potential application include:

• Separation of oxygen from air via vacuum swing adsorption;
• Separation of hydrocarbons such as ethane/ethylene, ethylene/acetylene, propane/propylene and others via pressure, temperature or vacuum swing adsorption processes; and
• Separation of gases based on preferential electron transfer reactions (i.e. nitric oxide/nitrous oxide).

Advantages

Lower operating and capital costs via improved efficiency, decreased energy usage, and lower (near ambient) operating temperatures.