Recent progress and issues facing zeolite and metal-organic framework membranes: From membrane synthesis to applications

Membrane-based separation is an alternative to energy-intensive industrial separation processes. Zeolites and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have high porosities and molecule-sized apertures and have received considerable attention as promising next-generation materials for high-efficiency membrane-based separation processes. Although zeolites and MOFs have different frameworks, the concepts related to membrane design and applications are similar. Understanding these similarities, as well as the differences, between zeolite and MOF membranes offers rational guidance for the development of optimal membranes for a range of applications. This review comes up at a critical time considering recent progress in zeolite and MOF membrane research and, here, we describe and compare recent advances in the field of zeolite and MOF membranes, focusing on syntheses, structural modulations, separation performance, and industrial applications at different scales.