Highly selective o-xylene separation enabled by a bowl-shaped phosphangulene oxide-based molecular cage

IF 9.8 1区化学 Q1 CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Science China Chemistry Pub Date : 2026-07-15 DOI:10.1007/s11426-026-3455-2

Hui-Min Cai, Ze-Hong Chen, Ran Li, Ying-Mei Zhong, Zhi-Hong Deng, Tian-Shu Yang, Zi-Ye Song, Xiao-Qing Guo, Qing-Fu Sun

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Energy-efficient separation of xylene isomers remains a long-standing challenge owing to their nearly identical physicochemical properties. Here we report a double-bowl, sandwich-type palladium molecular cage (Pd₃L₂) assembled from a bowl-shaped phosphangulene oxide ligand and (bpy)Pd^II (2,2′-bipyridine) centers, featuring a hydrophobic and shape-persistent cavity. Benefiting from precise size and shape complementarity, Pd₃L₂ exhibits exceptional selectivity for o-xylene (OX) over its isomers (m-xylene, MX; p-xylene, PX), enabling efficient separation from an equimolar OX/MX/PX mixture and affording OX with a purity of up to 90%. Beyond xylene isomer separation, Pd₃L₂ also preferentially encapsulates benzene (Bz) over cyclohexane (Cy), allowing effective benzene separation under mild conditions. By integrating host-guest molecular recognition with a simple extraction strategy, this recyclable molecular cage provides an efficient and versatile platform for the separation of structurally similar aromatic hydrocarbons, highlighting the potential of molecular cages as energy-saving alternatives to conventional distillation-based processes.

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高选择性的邻二甲苯分离，使碗形的磷酸二烯氧化物为基础的分子笼

由于二甲苯同分异构体的物理化学性质几乎相同，因此高效分离仍然是一个长期的挑战。在这里，我们报道了一个双碗，三明治型钯分子笼（Pd3L2），由碗状的磷酸二烯氧化物配体和（bpy）PdII（2,2 ' -联吡啶）中心组装而成，具有疏水和形状持久的空腔。得益于精确的尺寸和形状互补性，Pd3L2对邻二甲苯（OX）的选择性优于其异构体（间二甲苯，MX；对二甲苯，PX），能够从等摩尔的OX/MX/PX混合物中有效分离，并提供纯度高达90%的OX。除了分离二甲苯异构体外，Pd3L2还优先包封苯（Bz）而不是环己烷（Cy），从而在温和条件下实现苯的有效分离。通过将主客分子识别与简单的提取策略相结合，这种可回收的分子笼为分离结构相似的芳烃提供了一个高效、通用的平台，突出了分子笼作为传统蒸馏工艺的节能替代品的潜力。

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来源期刊

Science China Chemistry CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY-

CiteScore

14.40

自引率

7.30%

发文量

3787

审稿时长

2.2 months

期刊介绍： Science China Chemistry, co-sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Natural Science Foundation of China and published by Science China Press, publishes high-quality original research in both basic and applied chemistry. Indexed by Science Citation Index, it is a premier academic journal in the field. Categories of articles include: Highlights. Brief summaries and scholarly comments on recent research achievements in any field of chemistry. Perspectives. Concise reports on thelatest chemistry trends of interest to scientists worldwide, including discussions of research breakthroughs and interpretations of important science and funding policies. Reviews. In-depth summaries of representative results and achievements of the past 5–10 years in selected topics based on or closely related to the research expertise of the authors, providing a thorough assessment of the significance, current status, and future research directions of the field.