Directly decorated CeY zeolite for O2-selective adsorption in O2/N2 separation at ambient temperature

The traditional zeolites used in air separation are generally N-2-selective adsorbents. It was found for the first time that the O-2/N-2 adsorption selectivity can be reversed by directly decorating the Ce metal ion sites of a traditional Y zeolite with imidazole molecules, which results in a novel O-2 adsorbent. The O-2/N-2 selectivity changes from 0.9 to 1.6 under normal conditions, and most importantly, the O-2 adsorbent is recyclable. The in situ XPS characterization results indicate that the imidazole modification can change the electronic state of Ce in the Y zeolite and increase its affinity for O-2, which is confirmed by theoretical calculations. Dynamic breakthrough adsorption experiments show that the adsorbent has significant application potential in air separation.