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

In natural gas refining, separation of CO₂ from methane is an important research issue, because CO₂ 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 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 and CH₄ gases.