Two-dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks for Electrochromic Switching

The electrochromic materials have received immense attention for the fabrication of smart optoelectronic devices. The alteration of the redox states of the electroactive functionalities results in the color change in response to electrochemical potential. Even though transition metal oxides, redox-active small organic molecules, conducting polymers, and metallopolymers are known for electrochromism, advanced materials demonstrating multicolor switching with fast response time and high durability are of increasing demand. Recently, two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) have been demonstrated as electrochromic materials due to their tunable redox functionalities with highly ordered structure and large specific surface area facilitating fast ion transport. Herein, we have discussed the mechanistic insights of electrochromism in 2D COFs and their structure-property relationship in electrochromic performance. Furthermore, the state-of-the-art knowledge for developing the electrochromic 2D COFs and their potential application in next-generation display devices are highlighted.     

A Two-dimensional Covalent Organic Framework for Iodine Adsorption

Radioactive iodine is a notorious pollutant in gas radioactive nuclear waste due to its radiation hazard, volatility, chemical toxicity, and high mobility. Therefore, developing a material with high efficiency-specific iodine capture is significant. Covalent organic framework(COF) has attracted significant attention as a new crystalline porous organic material. Due to its large specific surface and high chemical stability, it is an excellent alternative to adsorbents. Herein, we report a chemically stable two-dimensional COF(termed JUC-609) with specific adsorption of iodine. Adsorption experiments show that JUC-609 has an excellent iodine adsorption capacity as high as 5.9 g/g under 353 K and normal pressure condition, and iodine adsorption after multiple cycles is still maintained. Our study thus promotes the potential application of COFs in the field of environment-related applications.     

A Two-dimensional Dual-pore Covalent Organic Framework for Efficient Iodine Capture

Effectively capturing volatile radioiodine generated during the nuclear fission process is considered to be a safe way to the utilization of nuclear power. Here we report a new two-dimensional covalent organic framework(2D COF), ETTA-PyTTA-COF, as a highly efficient iodine adsorbent, which is constructed through the condensation reaction between 4,4’,4’’,4’’’-(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrayl)-tetrabenzaldehyde(ETTA) and 1,3,6,8-tetrakis(4-aminophenyl)pyrene(PyTTA). The ETTA-PyTTA-COF possesses a permanent 1D channel porous structure with a high Brunauer-Emmet-Teller(BET) surface area of 1519 m²/g and excellent chemical and thermal stability. It shows ultrahigh iodine adsorption capability, which can reach up to 4.6 g/g in vapor owing to its high BET surface area, large π-conjugated structure and plenty of imine groups in the skeleton of the COF as effective iodine sorption sites.     

一种沿骨架进行质子传导的二维共价有机框架的合成

氮杂环化合物咪唑、三氮唑等常被负载在多孔材料中应用于质子传导.受此启发,利用结构中含有三氮唑的2H,2’H-3,3’-双-1,2,4-三唑-5,5’-二胺(BTDA)作为建构单元,与2,4,6-三甲酰基间苯三酚(TFP)发生希夫碱缩合反应合成一种新型二维共价有机框架(TFP-BTDA-COF).通过理论模拟、粉末X射线衍射(PXRD)、氮气吸附-解吸表征和傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)等证实了其结构.由于2D-COF的π-π堆积作用, BTDA连接单元中三氮唑上的N—H键在COF各层上周期性间隔排列形成有序阵列,在一定湿度条件下,借助水分子的中继作用,质子可以沿该阵列在一维孔道内传递,使得该COF具备通过骨架进行质子传导的能力.采用交流阻抗法对其质子传导能力进行测试,测试结果表明:随环境湿度增大,材料的质子传导能力逐渐增强,在98%相对湿度下达到最大值1.4×10^-3S·cm^-1.     

An Electrochromic Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework Film

Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) possess various merits, such as high porosity, tunable structure, facile modification, and ready regeneration. These properties have yet to be explored in the context of new functional HOF materials. The facile and inexpensive electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method applied in this study generated a transparent HOF film at room temperature in just 2 min and is applicable to other HOFs. The resulting film exhibited reversible electrochromism with the advantage of long cycle life (>500 cycles). More strikingly, this all-organic film could be readily regenerated (through rinsing with DMF and redeposition) and showed tunable electrochromic behavior (through low-cost postsynthetic modification) with the ability to undergo successive color changes, which is difficult to achieve with conventional electrochromic materials. An electrochromic device was manufactured to further demonstrate the application potential of the film.     

二维共价有机框架薄膜的近红外电致变色性质研究

正共价有机框架(COF)材料是一类由共价键连接的有机多孔结晶材料。COF材料具有良好的稳定性和可设计性,在近十余年来引起了研究人员的广泛关注~(1,2)。为了规避COF材料粉末较难溶解和加工的问题,直接制备薄膜形态的COF材料具有     

A Photoresponsive Smart Covalent Organic Framework

Ordered π‐columnar structures found in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) render them attractive as smart materials. However, external‐stimuli‐responsive COFs have not been explored. Here we report the design and synthesis of a photoresponsive COF with anthracene units as the photoresponsive π‐building blocks. The COF is switchable upon photoirradiation to yield a concavo‐convex polygon skeleton through the interlayer [4π+4π] cycloaddition of anthracene units stacked in the π‐columns. This cycloaddition reaction is thermally reversible; heating resets the anthracene layers and regenerates the COF. These external‐stimuli‐induced structural transformations are accompanied by profound changes in properties, including gas adsorption, π‐electronic function, and luminescence. The results suggest that COFs are useful for designing smart porous materials with properties that are controllable by external stimuli.     

A Covalent Organic Framework with 4 nm open pores

The synthesis and characterization of a new mesoporous Covalent Organic Framework BTP-COF is described, the latter having fully accessible pores with an open diameter of 4.0 nm.     

Embedding Carbon Nitride into a Covalent Organic Framework with Enhanced Photocatalysis Performance

We report a new strategy to construct porous carbon nitride (PCN) by embedding a heptazine unit–the primary building block of carbon nitride–into the backbone of a covalent organic framework (COF). The strategy results in a new type of PCN which bears a fibrous morphology, high surface area and wide visible absorption. The photocatalytic performance was evaluated by photodegradation of an organic dye. We found that the introduction of the heptazine unit has a prominent effect on the catalytic activity, which demonstrates an effective strategy to prepare carbon nitride materials. This work opens up a new way for the preparation of carbon nitride for photocatalysis applications.     

Pore Engineering for Covalent Organic Framework Membranes

Membrane technology is of particular significance for the sustainable development of society owing to its potential capacity to tackle the energy shortage and environmental pollution. Membrane materials are the core part of membrane technology. Researchers have always been pursuing predictable structures of advanced membrane materials, which provides a possibility to fully unlock the potential of membranes. Covalent organic frameworks(COFs), with the advantage of controllable pore microenvironment, are considered to be promising candidates to achieve this design concept. The customizable function of COF membranes through pore engineering does well in the enhancement of selective permeability performance, which offers COF membranes with great application potentials in separation and transportation fields. In this context, COF-based membranes have been developed rapidly in recent years. Herein, we present a brief overview on the strategies developed for pore engineering of COF membranes in recent years, including skeleton engineering, pore surface engineering, host-guest chemistry and membrane fabrication. Moreover, the features of transmission or separation of molecules/ions based on COF membranes and corresponding applications are also introduced. In the last part, the challenges and prospects of the development of COF membranes are discussed.     

Hexaazatriphenylene-Based Two-Dimensional Conductive Covalent Organic Framework with Anisotropic Charge Transfer

The development of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with efficient charge transport is of immense interest for applications in optoelectronic devices. To enhance COF charge transport properties, electroactive building blocks and dopants can be used to induce extended conduction channels. However, understanding their intricate interplay remains challenging. We designed and synthesized a tailor-made COF structure with electroactive hexaazatriphenylene (HAT) core units and planar dioxin (D) linkages, denoted as HD-COF. With the support of theoretical calculations, we found that the HAT units in the HD-COF induce strong, eclipsed π–π stacking. The unique stacking of HAT units and the weak in-plane conjugation of dioxin linkages leads to efficient anisotropic charge transport. We fabricated HD-COF films to minimize the grain boundary effect of bulk COFs, which resulted in enhanced conductivity. As a result, the HD-COF films showed an electrical conductivity as high as 1.25 S cm⁻¹ after doping with tris(4-bromophenyl)ammoniumyl hexachloroantimonate.     

Two-dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks: Tessellation by Synthetic Art

Covalent organic frameworks(COFs) featuring designable nanoporous structures exhibit many fascinating properties and have attracted great attention in recent years for their intriguing application potential in sensing, catalysis, gas storage and separation, optoelectronics, etc. Rational design of twodimensional(2D) COFs through judiciously selecting chemical building blocks is critical to acquiring predetermined skeleton and pore structures. In this perspective, we review the reticular synthesis of 2D COFs with different topologies, highlighting the important role of various characterization techniques in crystal structure determination. 2D COFs with simple tessellations have been widely investigated, while the synthesis of complex tessellated COFs is still a great challenge. Some recent examples of 2D COFs with novel topological structures are also surveyed.     

A Porous Crystalline Nitrone-Linked Covalent Organic Framework**

Herein, we report the synthesis of a nitrone-linked covalent organic framework, COF-115, by combining N, N′, N′, N′′′-(ethene-1, 1, 2, 2-tetrayltetrakis(benzene-4, 1-diyl))tetrakis(hydroxylamine) and terephthaladehyde via a polycondensation reaction. The formation of the nitrone functionality was confirmed by solid-state ¹³C multi cross-polarization magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy of the ¹³C-isotope-labeled COF-115 and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The permanent porosity of COF-115 was evaluated through low-pressure N₂, CO₂, and H₂ sorption experiments. Water vapor and carbon dioxide sorption analysis of COF-115 and the isoreticular imine-linked COF indicated a superior potential of N-oxide-based porous materials for atmospheric water harvesting and CO₂ capture applications. Density functional theory calculations provided valuable insights into the difference between the adsorption properties of these COFs. Lastly, photoinduced rearrangement of COF-115 to the associated amide-linked material was successfully demonstrated.     

Modulated Synthesis of Self-Standing Covalent Organic Framework Films

The weak interaction of covalent organic framework (COF) nanoparticles makes the preparation of self-standing COF films difficult. Herein, a modulated strategy for the facile synthesis of self-standing COF films with good crystallinity and tunable thickness is reported. As compared with the non-modulated approach, the modulated strategy changes the COF morphology from nanoparticles to nanofibers, enabling the facile preparation of self-standing COF films with improved mechanical properties. The Young's modulus of the self-standing COF film obtained via the modulated strategy could increase by 26 times. Moreover, self-standing LZU-8 film can be used as a membrane for efficient removal of 99 % mercury ions from aqueous solution. Our results open up a new approach to prepare self-standing COF thin films for practical applications.     

A Corrole-Based Covalent Organic Framework Featuring Desymmetrized Topology

Herein, for the first time, we present the successful synthesis of a novel two-dimensional corrole-based covalent organic framework (COF) by reacting the unusual approximately T-shaped 5,10,15-tris(p-aminophenyl)corrole H₃TPAPC with terephthalaldehyde, which adopts desymmetrized hcb topology and consists of a staggered AB stacking structure with elliptical pores. The resultant corrole-based COF, TPAPC-COF , exhibits high crystallinity and excellent chemical stability. The combination of extended π-conjugated backbone and interlayer noncovalent π–π interactions endows TPAPC-COF with excellent absorption capability in the entire visible-light and even near-infrared regions. Moreover, this work suggests the promise of TPAPC-COF as a new class of photoactive material for efficient singlet-oxygen generation with potential photodynamic therapy application as demonstrated by in vitro anticancer studies.     

A Thiazole-linked Covalent Organic Framework for Lithium-Sulphur Batteries

Lithium-sulphur (Li−S) batteries are a promising alternative power source, as they can provide a higher energy density than current lithium-ion batteries. Porous materials are often used as cathode materials as they can act as a host for sulphur in such batteries. Recently, covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have also been used, however they typically suffer from stability issues, resulting in limited and thus insufficient durability under practical conditions and applications. Herein, we report the synthesis of a crystalline and porous imine-linked triazine-based dimethoxybenzo-dithiophene functionalized COF (TTT-DMTD) incorporating high-density redox sites. The imine linkages were further post-synthetically transformed to yield a robust thiazole-linked COF (THZ-DMTD) by utilizing a sulphur-assisted chemical conversion method, while maintaining the crystallinity. As a synergistic effect of its high crystallinity, porosity and the presence of redox-active moieties, the thiazole-linked THZ-DMTD exhibited a high capacity and long-term stability (642 mAh g⁻¹ at 1.0 C; 78.9 % capacity retention after 200 cycles) when applied as a cathode material in a Li−S battery.     

基于席夫碱反应的共价有机骨架材料

席夫碱共价有机骨架材料（Schiff-base COFs）是根据Schiff-base反应原理缩合形成的一类COFs材料。Schiff-base COFs具有骨架密度低、比表面积大、孔径尺寸可控、有机单体种类丰富、合成方法灵活多样、表面化学性质可功能化,易于引入特定的分子识别位点,以及物理化学稳定性优异等特征。Schiff-base COFs在气体吸附/储存、传感、催化、光电材料和前处理介质等诸多领域有重要的应用前景,成为材料科学领域的研究热点。本文主要综述了近年来Schiff-base COFs材料的合成类型、制备方法,以及该材料在不同领域的应用研究进展。最后,总结了该材料的研究现状并展望了该研究领域未来的发展方向和应用前景。     

Electronic Structure of a Semiconducting Imine‐Covalent Organic Framework

Imine COF (covalent organic framework) based on the Schiff base reaction between p‐phenylenediamine (PDA) and benzene‐1,3,5‐tricarboxaldehyde (TCA) was prepared on the HOPG‐air (air=humid N₂) interface and characterized using different probe microscopies. The role of the molar ratio of TCA and PDA has been explored, and smooth domains of imine COF up to a few μm are formed for a high TCA ratio (>2) compared to PDA. It is also observed that the microscopic roughness of imine COF is strongly influenced by the presence of water (in the reaction chamber) during the Schiff base reaction. The electronic property of imine COF obtained by tunneling spectroscopy and dispersion corrected density functional theory (DFT) calculation are comparable and show semiconducting nature with a band gap of ≈1.8 eV. Further, we show that the frontier orbitals are delocalized entirely over the framework of imine COF. The calculated cohesive energy shows that the stability of imine COF is comparable to that of graphene.     

羟基官能化共价有机骨架化合物的设计合成及性质

本文设计并合成了一个具有共价有机骨架微孔结构的聚三（4-苯基）硅醇化合物。该化合物是利用乌尔曼反应,三（4-溴苯基）硅醇自聚合得到的。通过MAS NMR,FTIR,SEM,PXRD对化合物结构进行了表征。并通过TGA及氮气吸附表征化合物热稳定性及孔性质。该化合物具有高热稳定性（467 ℃失重5%）,高化学稳定性,高BET比表面积（739 m2g-1）及很窄的孔径分布（1.27 nm）。