Shaping of a Scalable MOF for Efficient C ₂ H ₂ /C ₂ H ₄ Separation

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have demonstrated exceptional performance for challenging gas separations, yet their practical implementation requires transformation from fine powders into mechanically robust shaped bodies. Here, we report the successful shaping of scalable Cu(OH)INA, a benchmark ultramicroporous MOF for acetylene/ethylene (C2H2/C2H4) separation, into pellets via wet granulation using organic binders. Among four hydroxyl-rich binders evaluated (hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, poly(vinyl butyral), and sodium alginate), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) at 3 wt % loading proved optimal, forming robust “solid bridges” between MOF crystals through hydrogen bonding interactions. The resulting Cu(OH)INA@3%HEC pellets (2–3 mm diameter) retained the parent MOF’s crystallinity and thermal stability while exhibiting excellent mechanical integrity, with <1.5% breakage after 1440 min of abrasion testing. Remarkably, the shaped pellets maintained high C2H2 adsorption capacity (66.0 cm3 cm–3 at 298 K, 1 bar) and enhanced IAST selectivity (53 vs 46 for powder) for C2H2/C2H4 (1:99, v/v) mixtures. Dynamic breakthrough experiments confirmed effective separation performance, achieving polymer-grade ethylene purity with consistent C2H2 retention across multiple regeneration cycles under industrially relevant conditions (298–313 K, varied flow rates).