Metal‐Organic Materials for the Separation of Xylene Isomers

Xylene isomers are an essential industrial feedstock for producing pharmaceuticals, specialty chemicals, and polymers, for which single isomers of a high purity are usually required. However, similar physical and chemical properties of xylene render conventional separation processes inefficient. Recent advances in separation technology have led to the development of high-performance materials, with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) being a particularly promising class of crystalline porous adsorbent. The precise engineering of MOFs pore dimensions, chemical tunability and structural versatility enable highly selective molecular recognition, making it ideal for challenging separations. This review systematically examines recent advances in MOM-mediated xylene isomer separation, focusing on the critical role of material composition and pore topology in determining separation selectivity and efficiency.