High-Performance Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework ZIF-8 Membranes Fabricated By Interfacial Microfluidic Processing in Polymeric Hollow Fibers

High-performance ZIF-8 Membranes for Propylene Separation Fabricated by Interfacial Microfluidic Processing in Polymeric Hollow Fibers

Kiwon Eum¹, Chen Ma¹, Ali Rownaghi³, Christopher W. Jones^1,2, and Sankar Nair¹*

¹School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

²School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

³Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO

Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are nanoporous materials consisting of organic linkers coordinated to metal ions in crystalline structure. They are potentially attractive as energy-efficient gas separation materials and membranes.^[1] The MOF material ZIF-8 has great potential for use in C₃H₆/C₃H₈ separation membranes. However, industrial propylene separation relies on energy-intensive high-pressure distillation due to the lack of a high-performance membrane that can meet operating requirements.^[2] Most of the reported ZIF membranes are fabricated by non-scalable techniques or develop defects when challenged at higher pressures (5-10 atm). Previously, we have reported a novel membrane fabrication technique called Interfacial Microfluidic Membrane Processing (IMMP) that has potential to overcome scalability and economic feasibility issues.^[3]Here, we will discuss in detail the unprecedented high performance of ZIF-8 hollow fiber membranes achieved by rational engineering of the IMMP technique, to yield membranes with excellent selectivities and permeances at ambient conditions as well as elevated pressures and temperatures of industrial interest.

*Corresponding author: sankar.nair@chbe.gatech.edu

[1] H.-C. Zhou, J. R. Long, O. M. Yaghi, Chemical Reviews2012, 112, 673.

[2] B. R. Pimentel, A. Parulkar, E.-k. Zhou, N. A. Brunelli, R. P. Lively, ChemSusChem2014, 7, 3202.

[3] A. J. Brown, N. A. Brunelli, K. Eum, F. Rashidi, J. R. Johnson, W. J. Koros, C. W. Jones, S. Nair, Science 2014, 345, 72.