Patent ID: 9744520
Date: 2017-08-29
CPC Classifications: B01D,B01J,C07C

Claim:
1. A method of separating a desired component from a mixture of components, the method comprising: selectively sorbing a desired component from a mixture of components by contacting the mixture of components with a sorbent material to selectively sorb the desired component within/to the sorbent material to produce a sorption complex; removing any non-sorbed component(s) from contact with the sorption complex; and optionally recovering the desired component from the sorption complex; wherein the mixture of components comprises p-xylene and m-xylene; and wherein the sorbent material comprises a metal-organic framework (MOF), which metal-organic framework comprises a compound comprising: an f-block metal ion (M); and a polydentate ligand (LIG) able to co-ordinate with M to provide a metal organic framework (MOF) structure; wherein the LIG group is defined by Formula A (or a suitable ionised form thereof): wherein: n is an integer between 1 and 6 such that n individual and independently defined -L_R groups (i.e. L CORE comprises one or more aromatic or heteroaromatic systems; each L group is the same or different, each being independently either absent or a linker selected from the group including (1-3C)alkylene, (2-3C)alkenylene, (2-3C)alkynylene, O, S, SO, SO each R group is the same or different, each being independently selected from an aryl or heteroaryl group bearing a lone pair of electrons capable of coordinating with M or substituted by a group bearing a lone pair of electrons capable of coordinating with M; wherein CORE or any R group is optionally further substituted by one or groups selected from halogeno, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, cyano, isocyano, nitro, hydroxy, mercapto, amino, formyl, carboxy (incl. carboxylic acid), carbamoyl, ureido, sulphonyl (incl. sulphonic acid), phosphoryl (incl. phosphonic acid), (1-8C)alkyl, (2-8C)alkenyl, (2-8C)alkynyl, (1-8C)alkoxy, (2-8C)alkenyloxy, (2-8C)alkynyloxy, (1-8C)alkylthio, (1-8C)alkylsulphinyl, (1-8C)alkylsulphonyl, (1-8C)alkylamino, di-[(1-8C)alkyl]amino, (1-8C)alkoxycarbonyl, N-(1-8C)alkylcarbamoyl, N,N-di-[(1-8C)alkyl]carbamoyl, (2-8C)alkanoyl, (2-8C)alkanoyloxy, (2-8C)alkanoylamino, N-(1-8C)alkyl-(2-8C)alkanoylamino, (3-6C)alkenoylamino, N-(1-6C)alkyl-(3-6C)alkenoylamino, (3-6C)alkynoylamino, N-(1-6C)alkyl-(3-6C)alkynoylamino, N′-(1-6C)alkylureido, N′,N′-di-[(1-6C)alkyl]ureido, N-(1-6C)alkylureido, N,N′-di-[(1-6C)alkyl]ureido, N,N′,N′-tri-[(1-6C)alkyl]ureido, N-(1-6C)alkylsulphamoyl, N,N-di-[(1-6C)alkyl]sulphamoyl, (1-6C)alkanesulphonylamino and N-(1-6C)alkyl-(1-6C)alkanesulphonylamino; or an (acceptable) salt and/or solvate thereof.