The Adsorptive Separation of Ethylene from C2 Hydrocarbons by Metal-Organic Frameworks

Separating ethylene (C2H4) from the C-2 hydrocarbons is of prime industrial importance for the process of high-purity C2H4 as an essential raw material in the petrochemical industry. Due to their similar physicochemical properties, the separation of C2H4 from the C-2 hydrocarbons typically entails high-energy separation technologies such as cryogenic distillation and extraction. Alternatively, adsorption separation using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are low-energy separation technologies that manufacture high-purity gas under mild conditions. In this review, we summarized the recent advances in MOFs for the separation and purification of C2H4 from the C-2 hydrocarbons. The mechanisms underlying separating C2H4 from the C-2 hydrocarbons using MOFs are also highlighted. This review also discussed the major challenges and developments of MOFs to separate C2H4 from the C-2 hydrocarbons.