Solution-processable hypercrosslinked polymers by low cost strategies: a promising platform for gas storage and separation

Abstract

The preparation of soluble microporous polymers for large-scale gas storage and separation with low cost, scalability and synthetic diversification is extremely challenging. Here, we report the synthesis of solution-processable hypercrosslinked polymers (SHCPs) by folding polystyrene molecules at high dilution. A low cost knitting method is employed and by slowly adding an external crosslinker, intramolecular cross-links were introduced. Despite being highly cross-linked, the resulting hypercrosslinked polymers dissolve in a range of organic solvents to form thermodynamically stable homogenous liquids. By increasing the concentration of polystyrene and the amount of crosslinker, the BET surface area of SHCPs increased with the largest surface area of 724 m² g⁻¹. Moreover, they also show comparable gas uptake properties reaching 8.11 wt% CO₂ adsorption (1.13 bar and 273 K), 1.01 wt% H₂ adsorption (1.13 bar and 77 K), and 0.14 wt% CH₄ adsorption (1.13 bar and 273 K). The reaction offers a route to new classes of solution-processable microporous polymers as promising materials for gas storage and separation.