Selective separation of CO2/CH4 gases by metal-organic framework-based composites

In natural gas refining, separation of CO2 2 from methane is an important research issue, because CO2 2 wastes natural gas energy and causes pipeline corrosion. Compared to common technologies, adsorption-based processes are noteworthy for gas separation because they are inexpensive and have high efficiency. A type of composite consists of a polymer matrix and organic or inorganic fillers. By integrating metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) into the polymer matrix, composites with a defect-free surface are formed because organic linkers in MOFs can provide a suitable combination with organic polymers to form a proper membrane for separation of the CO2/CH4 2 /CH 4 gases. Here, an attempt has been made to investigate various types of composites based on their nature, the impact of functional groups in the structure of MOFs, as well as two-dimensional MOFs on the separation efficiency of CO2 2 and CH4 4 gases.