The industrial separation of xylene isomers is a challenge due to their similarity in size, shape, density, boiling point, and polarity. Xylene isomers have been separated using zerodimensionally porous crystals composed of a Cu-based metallocycle, with selectivity in the order p-xylene ≫ m-xylene > o-xylene. The selectivity trend follows that of increasing kinetic diameters of the xylenes. Crystallographic studies show that the flexible host transforms from one phase to another to adapt to the inclusion of xylenes.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.