Executive Summary : | The separation of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons is crucial for the production of plastics, fuels, and pharmaceutical products. Distillation is the current method, but it is not sustainable due to its energy economy and carbon footprint. Membrane-based separation technology is now considered disruptive due to its high permeation and selectivity. However, regulating pore surface interaction with hydrocarbons is challenging due to the structural ordering and spatial distribution of functionalities in the porous network. Crystal metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can be a potential membrane material for efficient hydrocarbon separation. A gradient functionalized nanoporous membrane of MOFs can be used to achieve efficient hydrocarbon separation. The MOFs will be grown vertically on porous oxide, aligning the nanochannels vertically to the substrate plane. During the growth process, one of the linker components will be functionalized differently, creating a gradient of functionality along the diffusion path. The pore dimension of MOFs will be 3-8 Å, depending on the hydrocarbons' kinetic diameters. The proposed research plan will study the diffusion flux and selectivity for various hydrocarbons using MOF thin films as membranes. The research plan will explore the impact of functionality gradient on membrane nanochannels and guide future membrane design principles for hydrocarbon separation. |