Cyclodextrin covalent organic framework for C2H4/C3H6 separation

Ethylene (C2H4) and propylene (C3H6), as very important chemical raw materials in the petrochemical industry, possess similar physical properties such as molecular sizes and boiling points, resulting in difficult separation. Covalent organic framework (COF) has great application potential in the field of separation due to its high porosity and specific surface area. Herein, γ-CD-COF (CD = cyclodextrin) has been synthesized to carry out the efficient separation of C2H4/C3H6. The adsorption data shows that the maximum adsorption capacity of γ-CD-COF for C2H4 and C3H6 is 38.5 cm−3 g−1 and 52.6 cm−3 g−1, respectively, and the dynamic adsorption process further confirms the possibility of γ-CD-COF for C2H4/C3H6 separation.