Time: July. 21, 2021

Source: College of Chemistry and Materials Science

The top international academic journal Nature (2021, 595, 542–548) published Orthogonal-array dynamic molecular sieving of propylene/propane mixtures, a research finding by Prof. Lu Weigang and Prof. Li Dan's group in JNU's College of Chemistry and Materials Science, online on July 21. The research has put forward a new separation mechanism: orthogonal-arrays dynamic molecular sieving. This mechanism, using metal-organic frameworks for newly developing crystalline porous materials, is self-assembled by metal nodes and organic ligands; it contains determinate composition and structure and diversified pore channels. It has solved the problem of slow rate of adsorption kinetic and low adsorption capacity of traditional molecular sieving. This study has potential for wide use in fields including the petrochemical industry, epidemic prevention and control, medicine and health. JNU is the only research unit completing the paper. Zeng Heng, a member of the research team and one of JNU's first Ph.D. students in the primary discipline of chemistry, is the first author of the paper.

Lu and Li's team has long been dedicated to the molecular design, synthesis technology, crystal engineering and material creation of supramolecular coordination functional materials. It has explored these materials' applications in the fields of energy, environment and biomedicine. The team’s work has been strongly supported by JNU, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong, and major basic and applied basic research projects of Guangdong.

After the paper was published, the research team received letters from British and American scholars and close attention from Sinopec and other related enterprises. Li said the current research was still i the laboratory stage, and she looked forward to its future application in industry to contribute to China's energy conservation and reduction of consumption.

Link to paper：https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03627-8