Single-Step Ethylene Purification and MTO Product Separation in a Nitrogen-Rich Microporous Metal–Organic Framework

The nitrogen-rich metal–organic framework (MOF) NTUniv-75, featuring a melamine (MA) functional group, enables efficient one-step C 2 H 4 purification and methanol-to-olefins (MTO) product separation. At 298 K, its adsorption capacity follows the order C 2 H 2 > C 3 H 6 > C 2 H 6 > C 2 H 4 . Breakthrough experiments showed that NTUniv-75 produced pure C 2 H 4 from C 2 mixtures with a productivity of 22.5 mL g –1 . For MTO products, productivities reached 43.0 mL g –1 (C 2 H 4 ) and 61.9 mL g –1 (C 3 H 6 ). Notably, C 3 H 6 addition nearly doubled the C 2 H 4 yield. Modeling revealed that MA aids C 2 H 2 /C 2 H 4 separation, while pocket-like apertures favor C 2 H 6 adsorption. Additionally, C–H···π interactions between C 2 H 6 and C 3 H 6 enhance C 2 H 4 yield.