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  • RESEARCH BRIEFINGS

Separating molecules by their shapes can purify natural gas

Membranes made from metal–organic frameworks contain modular pores that can separate mixtures of gas. By changing the shape of these pores to improve molecular separation, we produced a membrane that could remove nitrogen and carbon dioxide from natural gas in an energy-efficient and cost-effective way.

This is a summary of Zhou, S. et al. Asymmetric pore windows in MOF membranes for natural gas valorization. Nature 606, 706–712 (2022).

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-01548-8

References

  1. US Energy Information Administration. International Energy Outlook 2021 (2021).

  2. Bouckaert, S. et al. Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector (International Energy Agency, 2021).

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  4. Zhou, S. et al. Nature Energy 6, 882–891 (2021).

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