Construction of microporous covalent organic frameworks for high gas uptake capacities

Abstract

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) show excellent stability, high porosity, and a designable skeleton, making them an ideal platform for gas capture. Here, two microporous COFs (M-COFs) were synthesized using short building blocks, which were advantageous for gas uptake through the pores. Additionally, the presence of abundant oxygen and nitrogen atoms on the walls of M-COFs further improved the gas uptake ability through weak interactions. Notably, the M-COFs exhibited high gas capture values (carbon dioxide: 72.5 cm³ g⁻¹; methane: 35.2 cm³ g⁻¹; iodine: 4.74 g g⁻¹). This design has opened a new pathway for enhancing gas capture, hence addressing urgent environmental issues.