Rational integration of fluorine and hydroxyl functionalities in UiO-66 metal−organic framework for enhanced propylene/propane separation

Abstract

Zr-based metal–organic framework UiO-66 is an attractive platform for hydrocarbon separations due to its exceptional chemical and thermal stability. We report a new UiO-66 derivative, UiO-66-F₂(OH)₂, integrating fluorine and hydroxyl groups into the framework. Compared to UiO-66-F₄ and UiO-66-(OH)₂, the coexistence of these two functionalities tunes the pore environment, resulting in enhanced differentiation for propylene and propane adsorption. The cyclic breakthrough experiments demonstrate the effective and stable dynamic separation of propylene and propane using UiO-66-F₂(OH)₂.