Advances in metal-organic frameworks for efficient separation and purification of natural gas

Natural gas is an essential chemical raw material and a promising clean energy source, which is widely used and increasingly in demand. Gas separation processes significantly impact the current needs of human society. The traditional low temperature liquefaction distillation method of natural gas has high cost of gas separation and purification, which limits its wide application. As a new kind of porous materials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown excellent gas separation and purification prospects due to their ultra-high specific surface area, easily modified pore surface, structural design, and functionalization. Here, we summarize the recent research progress of using MOFs adsorbent for the separation of natural gas, including C3H8/CH4, C2H6/CH4, H2S/CH4, CO2/CH4, and CH4/N2. Furthermore, bottlenecks and possible research directions for further exploration are discussed.