A stable yttrium-based metal–organic framework built on ladder building units for size-exclusion separation of hexane isomers

The separation of hexane isomers represents a critical industrial process, which remains challenging due to their similar physicochemical properties. In this study, we report a three-dimensional (3D) Y-based metal-organic framework (MOF), [Y₂(μ₃-F)₂(TBTC)(2-FBA)·1.5DMF]{denoted as HIAM-320, H₃TBTC = 1,3,5-tris[4-(carboxyphenyl)oxymethyl]-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene}, which features one-dimensional (1D) channels with appropriate pore size for size-sieving separation of hexane isomers.