• • At 77 K, the diffusion rate of D2 is 1.8 times that of H2 in the lignin-derived carbon molecular sieve, enabling kinetic separation via the KQS effect; this diffusion selectivity is critical for efficient D2 recovery in cryogenic adsorption processes.
• • The recovered gas from the molecular sieving carbon exhibits a D2 concentration approximately 10% higher than that from conventional microporous carbons, demonstrating a tangible improvement in separation performance under identical conditions.
• • Aspen adsorption simulations show that D2 can be enriched to 90.1% from a 1.0% D2/H2 mixture within 12 successive cycles using a two-bed cryogenic pressure swing adsorption process, indicating practical feasibility for industrial deuterium enrichment.
• • The carbon molecular sieve is derived from lignin-rich biomass, offering a sustainable and cost-effective precursor compared to traditional synthetic carbons, which is advantageous for scale-up and commercial deployment.