Imidazole-Functionalized Zn-MOFs for One-Step C2H4 Purification from C2H2/C2H4/C2H6 Ternary Mixture

The discovery of new structures is very important for metal–organic framework (MOF) adsorbents and their application in gas separation, where the design of ligands and the selection of metal ions play a decisive role. Herein, we synthesized two isoreticular Zn-MOFs, UPC-250 and UPC-251, composed of imidazole-based tricarboxylic acid ligands and binuclear zinc clusters. The pore environment was regulated via modifying fluorine atoms at different positions of ligands, and one-step purification of ethylene from acetylene/ethylene/ethane ternary mixture was realized in UPC-251.