Record-Setting Selectivity for p-Xylene by an Intrinsically Porous Zero-Dimensional Metallocycle

J Am Chem Soc. 2020 Mar 11;142(10):4529-4533. doi: 10.1021/jacs.9b11314. Epub 2020 Mar 2.

Abstract

In its crystalline state, a dinuclear Cu-based metallocycle discriminates between the three isomers of xylene with liquid-phase selectivity in the order p-xylene ≫ m-xylene ≫ o-xylene. This selectivity holds over a wide concentration range, with p-xylene concentrations as low as 5%. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction and gas chromatography further indicate that the metallocyclic host extracts trace amounts of p-xylene from commercially pure o-xylene (≥99%); using NMR spectroscopy, we show that the metallocycle exhibits exclusive selectivity for p-xylene. Crystallographic studies show that the selectivity is based on the size and shape of the guest in combination with the flexibility of the host.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Coordination Complexes / chemistry*
  • Copper / chemistry
  • Xylenes / chemistry
  • Xylenes / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Coordination Complexes
  • Xylenes
  • 4-xylene
  • Copper
  • 3-xylene
  • 2-xylene