Incorporation of Cu3BTC2 nanocrystals to increase the permeability of polymeric membranes in O2/N2 separation

Abstract To increase permeability in O2/N2 separation without compromising selectivity, Cu3BTC2 (or HKUST-1) nanocrystals, which possess well-defined channels and high surface area, were used as the filler for mixed-matrix membrane fabrication. The Cu3BTC2 nanocrystals, which were synthesized at room temperature with a facile method, showed desirable physical properties and porosity comparable to those of a commercial Cu3BTC2 adsorbent (Basolite C300). High-quality mixed-matrix membranes without appreciable defects were successfully fabricated with both Matrimid and polysulfone, which are commercial membrane polymers that suffer from poor permeability. Gas permeation testing revealed that 20 wt% Cu3BTC2 nanocrystals loading dramatically improved the O2 permeability of both polymer membranes (106% for Matrimid and 379% for polysulfone), with modest increases in O2/N2 selectivity. A detailed analysis of diffusivity and solubility showed that the overall O2/N2 diffusion selectivity was improved substantially over that of a neat polymeric membrane with the incorporation of Cu3BTC2 nanocrystals. A comparative study with literature data demonstrated that Cu3BTC2 nanocrystals are far more effective than other metal-organic framework fillers tested to increase permeability in O2/N2 separation.