Ship-in-a-bottle synthesis of a cobalt phthalocyanine/porous glass composite membrane for oxygen separation

A cobalt phthalocyanine/porous glass composite membrane for oxygen separation was prepared by ship-in-a-bottle synthesis where encapsulation of cobalt phthalocyanine into pores of porous glass was achieved by chemical vapour deposition using 1,2-dicyanobenzene. Formation of CoPc in the pores of porous glass was confirmed by UV–vis spectroscopy. Single gas permeation through the membrane was measured at 298, 323 and 373 K using O2 and N2. Ratio of the permeances, O2/N2 through the membrane was about 3. This value was three times higher than the theoretical Knudsen value (O2/N2 = 0.94). Binary gas permeation at 298 K was also investigated using a gas mixture of 79% N2–21% O2. The ideal separation factor of O2/N2 through the membrane was 2.9. This value was the same as the O2/N2 selectivity factor calculated from the single gas measurement. This membrane indicates O2-selectivity even at relatively high temperature and at 298 K using a gas mixture of 79% N2–21% O2 as feed gas.