Robust Ultramicroporous Metal–Organic Frameworks with Benchmark Affinity for Acetylene

Abstract Highly selective separation and/or purification of acetylene from various gas mixtures is a relevant and difficult challenge that currently requires costly and energy‐intensive chemisorption processes. Two ultramicroporous metal–organic framework physisorbents, NKMOF‐1‐M (M=Cu or Ni), offer high hydrolytic stability and benchmark selectivity towards acetylene versus several gases at ambient temperature. The performance of NKMOF‐1‐M is attributed to their exceptional acetylene binding affinity as revealed by modelling and several experimental studies: in situ single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, FTIR, and gas mixture breakthrough tests. NKMOF‐1‐M exhibit better low‐pressure uptake than existing physisorbents and possesses the highest selectivities yet reported for C2H2/CO2 and C2H2/CH4. The performance of NKMOF‐1‐M is not driven by the same mechanism as current benchmark physisorbents that rely on pore walls lined by inorganic anions.