Layered Zeolite for Assembly of Two-Dimensional Separation Membranes for Hydrogen Purification

Authors：Wang, Jilong; Fan, Yaqi; Jiang, Jingang; Wan, Zheng; Pang, Shuyue; Guan, Yejun; Xu, Hao^*; He, Xiao^*; Ma, Yanhang^*; Huang, Aisheng^*; Wu, Peng^*

Source：Angewandte Chemie - International Edition, 2023, 62(25).

DOI：10.1002/anie.202304734

• Exfoliation
• Gas Separation
• Hydrogen
• Layered Zeolite
• Membrane

Membrane separation is an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly process. Two-dimensional (2D) molecular sieving membranes featuring unique nanopores and low transport resistance have the potential to achieve highly permeable and selective mixture separation with low energy consumption. High-aspect-ratio zeolite nanosheets with intrinsic molecular-sieving pores perpendicular to the layers are desirable building blocks for fabricating high-performance 2D zeolite membrane. However, a wider application of 2D zeolitic membranes is restricted by the limited number of recognized zeolite nanosheets. Herein, we report a swollen layered zeolite, ECNU-28, with SZR topology and eight-member ring (8-MR, 3.0 angstrom x4.8 angstrom) pores normal to the nanosheets. It can be easily exfoliated to construct 2D membrane, which shows a high hydrogen selectivity up to 130 from natural gas and is promising for hydrogen purification and greenhouse gas capture.