Emerging trends in the development and applications of triazine-based covalent organic polymers: a comprehensive review

Owing to unique structural features, triazine-based covalent organic polymers (COPs) have attracted significant attention and emerged as novel catalysts or support materials for an array of applications. Typically formed by reacting triazine-based monomers or the in situ creation of triazine rings from nitrile monomers, these COPs possess 2D/3D meso/microporous structures held together via strong covalent linkages. The quest for efficient, stable and recyclable catalytic systems globally necessitates the need for a well-structured and comprehensive review summarizing the synthetic methodologies and applications of triazine-based COPs. This review explores the various synthetic routes and applications of these COPs in photocatalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, electrocatalysis, adsorption and sensing. By exploring the latest advancements and future directions, this review offers valuable insights into the synthesis and applications of triazine-based COPs.

Hyperbranched Polymer Dots with Strong Absorption and High Fluorescence Quantum Yield for In Vivo NIR-II Imaging

In order to improve the fluorescence quantum yield (QY) of NIR-II-emitting nanoparticles, D-A-D fluorophores are typically linked to intramolecular rotatable units to reduce aggregation-induced quenching. However, incorporating such units often leads to a twisted molecular backbone, which affects the coupling within the D-A-D unit and, as a result, lowers the absorption. Here, we overcome this limitation by cross-linking the NIR-II fluorophores to form a 2D polymer network, which simultaneously achieves a high QY by well-controlled fluorophore separation and strong absorption by restricting intramolecular distortion. Using the strategy, we developed polymer dots with the highest NIR-II single-particle brightness among reported D-A-D-based nanoparticles and applied them for imaging of hindlimb vasculatures and tumors as well as fluorescence-guided tumor resection. The high brightness of the polymer dots offered exceptional image quality and excellent surgical results, showing a promising performance for these applications.

Covalent Triazine Frameworks (CTFs): Synthesis, Crystallization, and Photocatalytic Water Splitting

Covalent Triazine Frameworks (CTFs) have received great attention from academia owing to their unique structure characteristics such as nitrogen-rich structure, chemical stability, fully conjugated skeleton and high surface area; all these unique properties make CTFs attractive for widespread applications, especially for photocatalytic applications. In this review, we aim to provide recent advances in the CTFs preparation, and mainly focus on their photocatalytic applications. This review provides a comprehensive and systematic overview of the CTFs' synthetic methods, crystallinity lifting strategies, and their applications for photocatalytic water splitting. Firstly, a brief background including the photocatalytic water splitting and crystallinity are provided. Then, synthetic methods related to CTFs and the strategies for enhancing the crystallinity are summarized and compared. After that, the general photocatalytic mechanism and the strategies to improve the photocatalytic performance of CTFs are discussed. Finally, the perspectives and challenges of fabricating high crystalline CTFs and designing CTFs with excellent photocatalytic performance are discussed, inspiring the development of CTF materials in photocatalytic applications.

Annulation strategies for diverse heterocycles via the reductive transformation of 2-nitrostyrenes

Reduction of the stable nitro group is a fundamental and widely used transformation for the construction of complex and functionalized heterocyclic architectures. The unfolding of the reactivity of the nitro group in the 2-nitrostyrene moiety not only triggers the formation of carbon-nitrogen bonds, but also offers the opportunity for annulation and heteroannulation, thereby providing a cascade process for the synthesis of highly conjugated natural and unnatural molecules. In this review, we comprehensively discuss the use of 2-nitrostyrene motifs in the synthesis of various N-heterocycles. We offer readers an overview of the synthetic achievements achieved to date, highlighting their important features, reactivities, and mechanisms.

Cu(I)-Catalyzed and Base-Promoted [5 + 2 + 1] Cascade Cyclization of 2-Nitrochalcones with Aliphatic Primary Amines to 5H-Pyrimido[5,4-b]indole Frameworks

An unprecedented [5 + 2 + 1] cascade cyclization to the preparation of 5H-pyrimido[5,4-b]indole derivatives has been disclosed. The novel protocol of 2-nitrochalcones reacted with aliphatic primary amines catalyzed by CuI and promoted by Cs₂CO₃, which underwent a critical intermediate 2,3-disubstituted indole, providing structurally diverse 5H-pyrimido[5,4-b]indoles in generally high yields (77-90%) and broad substrate scopes (34 examples).

Three-Dimensional Crystalline Covalent Triazine Frameworks via a Polycondensation Approach

The growth of crystalline covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) is still considered as a great challenge due to the less reversible covalent bonds of triazine linkages. The research studies of crystalline CTFs to date have been limited to two-dimensional (2D) structures, and the three-dimensional (3D) crystalline CTFs have never been reported before. Herein we report the design and synthesis of two 3D crystalline CTFs, termed 3D CTF-TPM and 3D CTF-TPA through a reversible/irreversible polycondensation approach. The targeted 3D CTFs adopt ctn topology, and show moderate crystallinity, relatively large surface area (ca. 2000 m²  g^-1 ), and high CO₂ uptake capacity (23.61 wt.%). Moreover, these 3D CTFs exhibit ultrastability in the presence of boiling water, strong acid (1 M HCl) and strong base (1 M NaOH). This contribution represents the first report of 3D crystalline CTFs, which not only extends their structural diversity but also offers a synthetic strategy and structural basis for expanding practical applications of CTF materials.

Triazines: Syntheses and Inverse Electron-demand Diels-Alder Reactions

Triazines are an important class of six-membered aromatic heterocycles possessing three nitrogen atoms, resulting in three types of regio-isomers: 1,2,4-triazines (a-triazines), 1,2,3-triazines (v-triazines), and 1,3,5-triazines (s-triazines). Notably, the application of triazines as cyclic aza-dienes in inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) cycloaddition reactions has been established as a unique and powerful method in N-heterocycle synthesis, natural product preparation, and bioorthogonal chemistry. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the advances in the construction of these triazines via annulation and ring-expansion reactions, especially emphasizing recent developments and challenges. The synthetic transformations of triazines are focused on IEDDA cycloaddition reactions, which have allowed access to a wide scope of heterocycles, including pyridines, carbolines, azepines, pyridazines, pyrazines, and pyrimidines. The utilization of triazine IEDDA reactions as key steps in natural product synthesis is also discussed. More importantly, a particular attention is paid on the bioorthogonal application of triazines in fast click ligation with various strained alkenes and alkynes, which opens a new opportunity for studying biomolecules in chemical biology.

The Chemistry of Triazine Isomers: Structures, Reactions, Synthesis and Applications

Triazine is the six-membered heterocyclic ring containing three nitrogens, which replace the carbon-hydrogen unit in the benzene ring. Based on nitrogen position present in the ring system, it is categorized in three isomeric forms, i.e., 1, 2, 3-triazine (vicinal triazine), 1, 2, 4-triazine (asymmetrical triazine or isotriazine) and 1, 3, 5-triazine (symmetrical or s-triazine or cyanidine). Triazines have a weakly basic property. Their isomers have much weaker resonance energy than benzene structure, so nucleophilic substitution reactions are more preferred than electrophilic substitution reactions. Triazine isomers and their derivatives are known to play important roles possessing various activities in medicinal and agricultural fields such as anti-cancer, antiviral, fungicidal, insecticidal, bactericidal, herbicidal, antimalarial and antimicrobial agents.

Atom-efficient synthesis of 2,4,6-trisubstituted 1,3,5-triazines via Fe-catalyzed cyclization of aldehydes with NH4I as the sole nitrogen source

An atom-efficient, straightforward method for the synthesis of 2,4,6-triaryl-1,3,5-triazines via iron-catalyzed cyclization of aldehydes with NH₄I as the sole nitrogen source is demonstrated. This strategy works smoothly under air atmosphere, and affords symmetrical 2,4,6-trisubstituted and unsymmetrical 1,3,5-triazines with yields from 18% to 72%. Compared to other methods, the present protocol provides a straightforward and atom-efficient approach to 2,4,6-trisubstituted 1,3,5-triazines using an inexpensive, easily available ammonium salt as the sole nitrogen source. Research into the preliminary mechanism indicates that N-benzylidenebenzimidamides are involved in this cyclization reaction.

An atom-efficient, straightforward method for the synthesis of 2,4,6-triaryl-1,3,5-triazines via iron-catalyzed cyclization of aldehydes with NH₄I as the sole nitrogen source is demonstrated.

Developments towards synthesis of N-heterocycles from amidines via C–N/C–C bond formation

This review focuses on the synthesis of N-heterocycles using amidines as starting materials, with an emphasis on the mechanisms of these reactions via C–N/C–C bond formation.

An I2-mediated aerobic oxidative annulation of amidines with tertiary aminesviaC–H amination/C–N cleavage for the synthesis of 2,4-disubstituted 1,3,5-triazines

An iodine-mediated aerobic oxidative cycloaddition of amidines with tertiary amines was first demonstrated, affording symmetrical and unsymmetrical 2,4-disubstituted 1,3,5-triazines.

Copper-catalyzed ambient-temperature decarboxylative annulation of isatins with amidine hydrochlorides: a facile access to 2-(1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)aniline derivatives

A copper-catalyzed domino protocol for the synthesis of 2-(1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)anilines has been developed from isatins and amidine hydrochlorides at ambient temperature.

Covalent Triazine Frameworks via a Low-Temperature Polycondensation Approach

Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are normally synthesized by ionothermal methods. The harsh synthetic conditions and associated limited structural diversity do not benefit for further development and practical large-scale synthesis of CTFs. Herein we report a new strategy to construct CTFs (CTF-HUSTs) via a polycondensation approach, which allows the synthesis of CTFs under mild conditions from a wide array of building blocks. Interestingly, these CTFs display a layered structure. The CTFs synthesized were also readily scaled up to gram quantities. The CTFs are potential candidates for separations, photocatalysis and for energy storage applications. In particular, CTF-HUSTs are found to be promising photocatalysts for sacrificial photocatalytic hydrogen evolution with a maximum rate of 2647 μmol h-1  g-1 under visible light. We also applied a pyrolyzed form of CTF-HUST-4 as an anode material in a sodium-ion battery achieving an excellent discharge capacity of 467 mAh g-1 .

A simple and facile synthesis of tricyclic-fused pyrimido[4,5-b]indol-2-amines

In the present investigation, a simple and facile synthetic strategy for the construction of a series of structurally interesting tricyclic-fused N-alkyl-9H-pyrimido[4,5-b]indol-2-amines has been successfully achieved. Our synthesis, based on the annulation reaction between readily available 2-chloroindole-3-carbaldehydes or 3-acetyl-2-chloroindoles and guanidine nitrate using KOH as the base in refluxing EtOH medium, has the attractive features such as mild and economical reaction conditions and easy handing with lesser impact on the environment.

Cu-Catalyzed intermolecular [3 + 3] annulation involving oxidative activation of an unreactive C(sp3)–H bond: access to pyrimidine derivatives from amidines and ketones

An efficient approach to pyrimidines through a copper-catalyzed oxidative unreactive C(sp³)–H bond and intermolecular [3 + 3] annulation of amidines and ketones is described.

Synthesis of 1,3,5-triazines via Cu(OAc)2-catalyzed aerobic oxidative coupling of alcohols and amidine hydrochlorides

Cu(OAc)2 was found to be an efficient catalyst for dehydrogenative synthesis of 1,3,5-triazine derivatives via oxidative coupling reaction of amidine hydrochlorides and alcohols in air. Both aromatic and aliphatic alcohols can be involved in the reaction and thirty-three products were obtained with good to excellent yields. Moreover, the use of a ligand, strong base and organic oxidant is unnecessary.

The synthesis of carbonyl 2-amino-pyrimidines via tandem regioselective heterocyclization of 1,3-diynes with guanidine and selective oxidation

A highly efficient one-pot approach for the synthesis of carbonyl 2-amino-pyrimidines from 1,3-diynes and guanidine in the presence of Cs2CO3 and DMSO has been described. In these reactions, 1,3-diynes act as a precursor of buta-1,2,3-trienes and guanidine serves as the N-C[double bond, length as m-dash]N source for the construction of pyrimidines. This methodology proves to be a tandem regioselective heterocyclization of 1,3-diynes with guanidine and selective oxidation with DMSO.

A, Bhanage BM. NIS-catalyzed oxidative cyclization of alcohols with amidines: a simple and efficient transition-metal free method for the synthesis of 1,3,5-triazines

A simple and efficient method for the synthesis of 1,3,5-triazines by NIS-catalyzed oxidative cyclization of alcohols with amidines has been developed. The reaction works smoothly under transition-metal and phosphine-free conditions.

Synthesis and spectroscopic properties of propeller type 2,4,6-tri(anthracen-9-yl)-1,3,5-triazine

The novel propeller typed compound, 2,4,6-tri(anthracen-9-yl)-1,3,5-triazine was synthesized by using 9-anthryl lithium with 1,3,5-trichlorotriazine or 2-chloro-4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazine. It's interesting spectroscopic behaviors were also studied.

Direct oxidative coupling of amidine hydrochlorides and methylarenes: TBHP-mediated synthesis of substituted 1,3,5-triazines under metal-free conditions

Various 2,4,6-trisubstituted 1,3,5-triazines were smoothly formed via TBHP-mediated direct oxidative coupling of amidine and methylarenes.

An efficient ruthenium-catalyzed dehydrogenative synthesis of 2,4,6-triaryl-1,3,5-triazines from aryl methanols and amidines

An efficient ruthenium-catalyzed dehydrogenative synthesis of 2,4,6-triaryl-1,3,5-triazines from aryl methanols and amidines has been demonstrated.