Opportunities and challenges of MOF-based membranes in gas separations

Abstract

Gas separation using metal organic framework (MOF) membranes has become an increasingly important research field over the last years. Several recent studies have shown that thin-film MOF membranes and MOF/polymer composite membranes can outperform well known polymer and zeolite membranes in various gas separation applications. The continuously increasing number of experimental and computational studies emphasizes the superior membrane properties of MOFs. In this review, we present a summary of experimental and computational studies both for thin-film MOF membranes and MOF/polymer composite membranes. We aim to address opportunities and challenges related with use of MOF membranes for gas separations as well as give directions on the requirements for employing these membranes in practical applications.