Recently, the Ming-Hua Zeng team from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (School of Carbon Neutrality Future Technology) at Shantou University made new progress in the research field of "MOF Glasses Fabrication and Light Hydrocarbons Separation". The related research findings were published under the title "Customized Flexibility in Soft Porous Crystals with Coupled Dynamics for Matching Sieving of Light Hydrocarbons" in the top journal "Angewandte Chemie International Edition" (impact factor 17.6) in the field of inorganic chemistry.

Authors:

Qiubing Dong, Lei Shi, Jingdi Li, Zheng Yin*, Jingui Duan*, Ming-Hua Zeng*

Paper information:

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2026, 65, e3591838.

Paper link:

https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.3591838

English abstract of the paper:

Soft porous crystals exploit adaptive structural dynamics for molecular recognition, yet their elusive nature hinders the fundamental understanding of rational design and reliable applications. Here, the correlation dynamics intrinsic to layered M(pbe)-α (M = Co²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺), transmitting from mono-vertex to strained-linker and to self-adaptive grid/stack, are orchestrated into node-encoded flexibility. In-situ tracking of dynamic structural evolution (including vertex distortion, linker rotation, layer motion, and pore resculpting) reveals the cation-induced flexibility gradient Co > Zn > Cu, evidenced by changes in coordination bond lengths, unit cell volumes, and inter/intra-layer interactions. The activated phase Co(pbe)-β exhibits strong flexibility, undergoing a polarizability-driven response for acetylene, achieving a record acetylene/carbon dioxide uptake ratio of 75. Zn(pbe)-β with moderate flexibility displays a marked difference in response to propylene versus propane. Cu(pbe)-β with the weakest flexibility shows high selectivity for dispersion-driven adsorption of butadiene over n-butene. Breakthrough experiments confirm exceptional separation and cyclic performance, where efficient desorption yields high-purity (≥ 99.5%) acetylene, propylene, and butadiene. Thus, correlating the local dynamic extent of coordination bonds with weak interaction constraints, as well as global cell volume expansion extent in these finely fabricated layered soft crystals, enables customized flexibility for the matched separation of challenging C2-C4 mixtures.