Self-Standing Covalent Organic Polymer Membrane with High Stability and Enhanced Ion-Sieving Effect for Flow Battery

Fabrication of ion-conducting membranes with continuous sub-nanometer channels holds fundamental importance for flow batteries in achieving safe integration of renewable energy into grids. Self-standing covalent organic polymer (COP) membranes provide feasibility due to their rapid and selective ion transport. However, the development of a scale-up possible, mechanically robust and chemically stable membranes remains a significant challenge. Herein, using irreversible strong secondary amine linkage, we propose a self-standing COP membrane with sub-nanometer pores ranging from 4.5 to 6.4 Å, by a simple and efficient in situ polymerization approach. This membrane exhibits enhanced selectivity for proton and vanadium ions, especially excellent electrochemical stability, delivering an energy efficiency of over 80 % at the current density of 200 mA cm-2 over 1000 cycles for an all-vanadium redox flow battery (VFB). This study provides novel insights for COP-based ion-sieving membranes in sustainable energy fields.

Amine Chemistry of Porous CO2 Adsorbents

ConspectusAs renewable energy and CO2 utilization technologies progress to make a more significant contribution to global emissions reduction, carbon capture remains a critical component of the mission. Current CO2 capture technologies involve operations at point sources such as fossil fuel-based power plants or source-agnostic like in direct air capture. Each strategy has its own advantages and limitations, but in common, they all employ sorption-based methods with the use of sorbents strongly adhering to CO2. Amine solutions are the most widely used absorbents for industrial operations due to the robust chemical bonds formed between amines and CO2 under both dry and humid conditions, rendering excellent selectivity. Such strong binding, however, causes problematic regeneration. In contrast, purely physisorptive porous materials with high surface areas allow for the confinement of CO2 inside narrow pores/channels and have a lower regeneration energy demand but with decreased selectivity and capacity. The most promising solution would then be the unification of both types of sorbents in one system, which could bring about a practical adsorption-desorption process. In other words, the development of porous solid materials with tunable amine content is necessary to leverage the high contact surface of porous sorbents with the added ability to manipulate amine incorporation toward lower CO2 binding strength.To answer the call to uncover the most feasible amine chemistry in carbon capture, our group has devoted intense effort to the study of amine-based CO2 adsorbents for the past decade. Oriented along practicality, we put forth a principle for the design of our materials to be produced in no more than three synthetic steps with economically viable starting materials. Porous organic polymers with amine functionalities of various substitutions, meaning primary, secondary, and tertiary amines, were synthesized and studied for CO2 adsorption. Direct synthesis proved to be feasibly applicable for secondary and tertiary amine-incorporated porous polymers whereas primary-amine-based sorbents would be conveniently obtained via postsynthetic modifications. Sorbents based on tertiary amines exhibit purely physical adsorption behavior if the nitrogen atoms are placed adjacent to aromatic cores due to the conjugation effect that reduces the electron density of the amine. However, when such conjugation is inhibited, chemisorptive activity is observed. Secondary amine adsorbents, in turn, express a higher binding strength than tertiary amine counterparts, but both types can merit a strengthened binding by the physical impregnation of small-molecule amines. Sorbents with primary-amine tethers can be obtained via postsynthetic transformation of precursor functionalities, and for them, chemical adsorption is mainly at work. We conclude that mixed-amine systems could exhibit unprecedented binding mechanisms, resulting in exceptionally specific interactions that would be useful for the development of highly selective sorbents for CO2.

Shape-Persistent Dendrimers

Dendrimers have a diverse and versatile morphology, frequently consisting of core, linking, and peripheral moieties. Dendrimers with flexible linkers, such as PAMAM, cannot retain the persistent shape of molecules, and this has been widely explored and reviewed previously; nevertheless, dendrimers with stiff linkers can preserve the persistent shape of the dendrimers, which has been reported considerably less. This review thus focuses on addressing shape-persistent dendrimers with rigid linking moieties discovered in recent years, i.e., from 2012 to 2023. Shape-persistent dendrimers with an interstitial gap between the dendritic frames in the solid state may or may not let the intramolecular void space be accessible for guest molecules, which largely depends on whether their peripheral groups are flexible or non-flexible. In this paper, eight articles on shape-persistent dendrimers with a flexible alkyl periphery, which may exhibit mesogenic phases upon thermal treatment, and eight articles on shape-persistent dendrimers with a non-flexible periphery, which may allow external ions, gases, or volatile organic compounds to access the interstitial gaps between dendritic frames, are reviewed.

Reduced graphene oxide -MnO2 nanocomposite for CO2 capture from flue gases at elevated temperatures

The newly prepared reduced graphene oxide-MnO₂ (rGO-MnO₂) nanocomposite has exhibited highly selective CO₂ adsorption from gaseous mixtures at elevated temperatures. The Mn²⁺ basic sites are scattered over the rGO-MnO₂ nanocomposite which produce an effective BET surface area of 710 m² g^-1 for selective CO₂ capture. The selective adsorption of CO₂ (5.87 mmol g^-1) over N₂ (0.36 mmol g^-1) and CH₄ (0.41 mmol g^-1) at 298 K/1 bar was achieved by the nanocomposite. The heat of adsorption followed a unique correlation with the quantity of CO₂ adsorbed and fits well to the Fowler-Guggenheim equation. The mechanism of CO₂ adsorption on the nanocomposite was complemented with molecular modelling and simulations. The rGO-MnO₂ have shown better CO₂ adsorption capacity of 28.5 mmol g^-1 at 323 K/20 bar as compared to zeolite derivatives, MOFs, and carbons as reported in the literature. The formation of inert frameworks with 3-6 nm porous structure in the nanocomposite thermally stabilizes to capture CO₂ repeatedly. The nanocomposite with adsorption capacity of 3.69 mmol g^-1 at 373 K/1 bar is quite close to real-life conditions for flue gas treatment.

One-Pot, Room-Temperature Conversion of CO2 into Porous Metal-Organic Frameworks

The conversion of CO₂ into functional materials under ambient conditions is a major challenge to realize a carbon-neutral society. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been extensively studied as designable porous materials. Despite the fact that CO₂ is an attractive renewable resource, the synthesis of MOFs from CO₂ remains unexplored. Chemical inertness of CO₂ has hampered its conversion into typical MOF linkers such as carboxylates without high energy reactants and/or harsh conditions. Here, we present a one-pot conversion of CO₂ into highly porous crystalline MOFs at ambient temperature and pressure. Cubic [Zn₄O(piperazine dicarbamate)₃] is synthesized via in situ formation of bridging dicarbamate linkers from piperazines and CO₂ and shows high surface areas (∼2366 m² g^-1) and CO₂ contents (>30 wt %). Whereas the dicarbamate linkers are thermodynamically unstable by themselves and readily release CO₂, the formation of an extended coordination network in the MOF lattices stabilizes the linker enough to demonstrate stable permanent porosity.

Porosity of Rigid Dendrimers in Bulk: Interdendrimer Interactions and Functionality as Key Factors

The porous structure of second- and third-generation polyphenylene-type dendrimers was investigated by adsorption of N₂, Ar, and CO₂ gases, scanning electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray spectroscopy. Rigid dendrimers in bulk are microporous and demonstrate a molecular sieve effect. When using CO₂ as an adsorbate gas, the pore size varies from 0.6 to 0.9 nm. This is most likely due to the distances between dendrimer macromolecules or branches of neighboring dendrimers, whose packing is mostly realized due to intermolecular interactions, in particular, π-π interactions of aromatic fragments. Intermolecular interactions prevent the manifestation of the porosity potential inherent to the molecular 3D structure of third-generation dendrimers, while for the second generation, much higher porosity is observed. The maximum specific surface area for the second-generation dendrimers was 467 m²/g when measured by CO₂ adsorption, indicating that shorter branches of these dendrimers do not provide dense packing. This implies that the possible universal method to create porous materials for all kinds of rigid dendrimers is by a placement of bulky substituents in their outer layer.

Covalent Triazine Frameworks Based on the First Pseudo-Octahedral Hexanitrile Monomer via Nitrile Trimerization: Synthesis, Porosity, and CO2 Gas Sorption Properties

Herein, we report the first synthesis of covalent triazine-based frameworks (CTFs) based on a hexanitrile monomer, namely the novel pseudo-octahedral hexanitrile 1,4-bis(tris(4'-cyano-phenyl)methyl)benzene 1 using both ionothermal reaction conditions with ZnCl2 at 400 °C and the milder reaction conditions with the strong Brønsted acid trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMS) at room temperature. Additionally, the hexanitrile was combined with different di-, tri-, and tetranitriles as a second linker based on recent work of mixed-linker CTFs, which showed enhanced carbon dioxide captures. The obtained framework structures were characterized via infrared (IR) spectroscopy, elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and gas sorption measurements. Nitrogen adsorption measurements were performed at 77 K to determine the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas range from 493 m2/g to 1728 m2/g (p/p0 = 0.01-0.05). As expected, the framework CTF-hex6 synthesized from 1 with ZnCl2 possesses the highest surface area for nitrogen adsorption. On the other hand, the mixed framework structure CTF-hex4 formed from the hexanitrile 1 and 1,3,5 tricyanobenzene (4) shows the highest uptake of carbon dioxide and methane of 76.4 cm3/g and 26.6 cm3/g, respectively, at 273 K.

Rapid iodine adsorption from vapor phase and solution by a nitrogen-rich covalent piperazine–triazine-based polymer

The excellent pore performance and high nitrogen content of n-CTP result in increased diffusion and adsorption of I₂, which subsequently decreases the equilibrium time.

Sulfonate-bonded covalent organic polymer as mixed-mode sorbent for on-line solid-phase extraction of ß2-receptor agonists

A novel sulfonate-bonded covalent organic polymer (COP_TPBA-BPDA@SA) with mixed-mode interactions of hydrophobic and cation-exchange was synthesized and exploited as sorbent for on-line solid-phase extraction (on-line SPE) of ß₂-receptor agonists. The successful synthesis of COP_TPBA-BPDA@SA was confirmed by the characterization of SEM, XPS and FT-IR. Due to the excellent mixed-mode extraction ability towards the positively charged ß₂-receptor agonists and the good anti-interference performance, COP_TPBA-BPDA@SA was introduced into on-line SPE-HPLC system for selective extraction of ß₂-receptor agonists in pork and pork liver. Via the optimization of the extraction condition, including formic acid percentage and ACN percentage in the sampling solution, the mixed-mode extraction mechanism of COP_TPBA-BPDA@SA was investigated. The elution condition, such as the pH value, formic acid percentage and ACN percentage of the eluent was also optimized for the desired SPE performance. Under the optimized condition, COP_TPBA-BPDA@SA revealed better purification performance than COP_TPBA-BPDA without sulfonating. The LODs for ß₂-receptor agonists were in the range of 0.08-0.22 μg/kg, and the recoveries in different samples at three spiked levels (0.4, 4.0, 8.0 μg/kg) were ranged from 83.2% to 98.5% with RSDs less than 5.2%, which indicated the satisfactory mixed-mode extraction ability of COP_TPBA-BPDA@SA as well as the good applicability of the developed method.

Two-dimensional diamine-linked covalent organic frameworks for CO2/N2 capture and separation: theoretical modeling and simulations

Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D-COFs) with diamine-based linkers have been designed and investigated for CO2/N2 gaseous mixture adsorption and separation via a systematic theoretical study by combining density functional theory (DFT) calculations and force field-based molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We explored the adsorption sites and adsorption energies of CO2/N2 on 2D-COFs. The gas uptake capacity, adsorption isotherms, permeability, and selectivity were simulated based on an improved formulation of force fields for mixture separation in post-combustion conditions. This theoretical approach provided atomistic understanding and quantitative description of intermolecular interactions governing the physisorption dynamics of the considered systems. The results suggest that 2D-COFs investigated in this study are competitive with other 2D materials for carbon capture and separation and can be considered as alternative molecular sieving materials offering efficient and rapid separation and adsorption of different molecules.

Ni nanoparticle-confined covalent organic polymer directed diaryl-selenides synthesis

The present work describes the preparation of a new covalent organic polymer (COP) and its application as a hetero support for diaryl selenides synthesis. A nitrogen rich COP (CGP) has been synthesized via SNAr reaction of cyanuric chloride with guanidinium hydrochloride. The successful confinement of COP with Ni nanoparticles through post-synthetic transformations (Ni@CGP) provides excellent catalytic activity for the transformation of aryl halides into diaryl selenides using elemental selenium powder. The synthetic transformations are well confirmed using various modern analytical and spectroscopic techniques which reveal high chemical and thermal durability. The N-rich framework of CGP fortifies the confinement of Ni NPs. Ni@CGP provides an efficient approach for diaryl selenides synthesis using a very cheap selenating reagent under water benign solvent conditions (DMSO : H2O) at room temperature with high reusability. Significantly, our work not only contributes the opportunity for developing economical and effective non-noble metal decorated COPs as heterogeneous catalysts, but also delivers an efficient approach to produce industrially important C-Se coupling products.

Recent Innovation of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Carbon Dioxide Photocatalytic Reduction

The accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) pollutants in the atmosphere begets global warming, forcing us to face tangible catastrophes worldwide. Environmental affability, affordability, and efficient CO2 metamorphotic capacity are critical factors for photocatalysts; metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are one of the best candidates. MOFs, as hybrid organic ligand and inorganic nodal metal with tailorable morphological texture and adaptable electronic structure, are contemporary artificial photocatalysts. The semiconducting nature and porous topology of MOFs, respectively, assists with photogenerated multi-exciton injection and adsorption of substrate proximate to void cavities, thereby converting CO2. The vitality of the employment of MOFs in CO2 photolytic reaction has emerged from the fact that they are not only an inherently eco-friendly weapon for pollutant extermination, but also a potential tool for alleviating foreseeable fuel crises. The excellent synergistic interaction between the central metal and organic linker allows decisive implementation for the design, integration, and application of the catalytic bundle. In this review, we presented recent MOF headway focusing on reports of the last three years, exhaustively categorized based on central metal-type, and novel discussion, from material preparation to photocatalytic, simulated performance recordings of respective as-synthesized materials. The selective CO2 reduction capacities into syngas or formate of standalone or composite MOFs with definite photocatalytic reaction conditions was considered and compared.

Tannin-derived micro-mesoporous carbons prepared by one-step activation with potassium oxalate and CO2

Micro-mesoporous carbons (MMCs) were successfully prepared using natural polyphenolic compounds, condensed tannins, and glyoxal, a nontoxic aldehyde, in lieu of synthetic phenolic compounds like formaldehyde and resorcinol as carbon precursors. Such MMCs were fabricated by a soft-templating strategy under mild conditions. Porosity development was achieved by varying the amount of potassium oxalate as an in-situ activator coupled with one-step CO₂ activation at 700 °C. This strategy allowed for the enhancement of microporosity as well as retention of the uniform mesoporous structure of the carbons. The CO₂ uptakes of 5.2 mmol/g at 0 °C and 3.6 mmol/g at 25 °C were achieved at 1 bar pressure for the tannin-derived activated MMC sample with a surface area of 1192 m²/g, a volume of fine micropores (sizes below 1 nm) of 0.33 cm³/g, and a mesopore volume of 0.49 cm³/g. This study opens new opportunities for a facile and green synthesis of MMCs from less toxic precursors with tailored porosity by synergistic effects of chemical and physical activation. The resulting MMCs exhibit the potential applicability not only as CO₂ sorbents but also in other environmental applications such as adsorption of organic volatile compounds and dye molecules, which require slightly larger pores.

Processing nanoporous organic polymers in liquid amines

Rigid network structures of nanoporous organic polymers provide high porosity, which is beneficial for applications such as gas sorption, gas separation, heterogeneous (photo)catalysis, sensing, and (opto)electronics. However, the network structures are practically insoluble. Thus, the processing of nanoporous polymers into nanoparticles or films remains challenging. Herein, we report that nanoporous polymers made via a Knoevenagel-like condensation can be easily processed into nanoparticles (115.7 ± 40.8 nm) or a flawless film by using liquid amines as a solvent at elevated temperatures. FTIR spectra revealed that the carboxyl groups in the nanoporous polymers act as reactive sites for amines, forming new functionalities and spacing the polymeric chains to be dissolved in the liquid amines. The processed film was found to be CO₂-philic despite the low surface area, and further able to be transformed into a fine carbon film by thermal treatment.

Competitive adsorption of gaseous aromatic hydrocarbons in a binary mixture on nanoporous covalent organic polymers at various partial pressures

Covalent-organic polymers (COPs) are recognized for their great potential for treating diverse pollutants via adsorption. In this study, the sorption behavior of benzene and toluene was investigated both individually and in a binary mixture against two types of COPs possessing different -NH₂ functionalities. Namely, the potential of COPs was tested against benzene and toluene in a low inlet partial pressure range (0.5-20 Pa) using carbonyl-incorporated aromatic polymer (CBAP)-1-based diethylenediamine (EDA) [CD] and ethylenetriamine (DETA) [CE]. The maximum adsorption capacity and breakthrough values of both COPs showed dynamic changes with increases in the partial pressures of benzene and toluene. The maximum adsorption capacities (A_max) of benzene (as the sole component in N₂ under atmospheric conditions) on CD and CE were in the range of 24-36 and 33-75 mg g^-1, respectively. In contrast, with benzene and toluene in a binary mixture, the benzene A_max decreased more than two-fold (range of 2.7-15 and 6-39 mg g^-1, respectively) due to competition with toluene for sorption sites. In contrast, the toluene A_max values remained consistent, reflecting its competitive dominance over benzene. The adsorption behavior of the targeted compounds (i.e., benzene and toluene) was explained by fitting the adsorption data by diverse isotherm models (e.g., Langmuir, Freundlich, Elovich, and Dubinin-Radushkevich). The current research would be helpful for acquiring a better understanding of the factors affecting competitive adsorption between different VOCs in relation to a given sorbent and across varying partial pressures.

Triazine-Based Covalent Organic Framework: A Promising Sorbent for Efficient Elimination of the Hydrocarbon Backgrounds of Organic Sample for GC-MS and 1H NMR Analysis of Chemical Weapons Convention Related Compounds

The strict monitoring and precise measurements of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) in environmental and other complex samples with high accuracy have great practical significance from the forensic and Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) verification point of view. Therefore, this study was aimed to develop an efficient extraction and enrichment method for identification and quantification of toxic agents, especially with high sensitivity and multidetection ability in complex samples. It is the first study on solid-phase extraction (SPE) of CWAs and their related compounds from hydrocarbon backgrounds using covalent triazine-based frameworks (CTFs). This nitrogen-rich CTF sorbent has shown an excellent SPE performance toward sample cleanup by selective elimination of hydrocarbon backgrounds and enrich the CWC related analytes in comparison with the conventional and other reported methods. The best enrichment of the analytes was found with the washing solvent (1 mL of n-hexane) and the extraction solvent (1 mL of dichloromethane). Under the optimized conditions, the SPE method had good linearity in the concentration range of 0.050-10.0 μg mL^-1 for organophosphorus esters, 0.040-20.0 μg mL^-1 for nerve agents, and 0.200-20.0 μg mL^-1 for mustards with correlation coefficients ( r²) between 0.9867 and 0.9998 for all analytes. Limits of detection ( S/ N = 3:1) in the SIM mode were found to be in the range of 0.015-0.050 μg mL^-1 for organophosphorus esters, 0.010-0.030 μg mL^-1 for nerve agents, and 0.050-0.100 μg mL^-1 for blister agents. Limits of quantification ( S/ N = 10:1) were found in the range of 0.050-0.200 μg mL^-1 for organophosphorus esters, 0.040-0.100 μg mL^-1 for nerve agents, and 0.180-0.350 μg mL^-1 for blister agents in the SIM mode. The recoveries of all analytes ranged from 87 to 100% with the relative standard deviations ranging from 1 to 8%. This method was also successfully applied for the sample preparation of ¹H NMR analysis of sulfur and nitrogen mustards in the presence of hydrocarbon backgrounds. Therefore, this SPE method provides the single sample preparation for both NMR and GC-MS analyses.

Nitrogen Amelioration-Driven Carbon Dioxide Capture by Nanoporous Polytriazine

Nitrogen-enriched nanoporous polytriazines (NENPs) have been synthesized by ultrafast microwave-assisted condensation of melamine and cyanuric chloride. The experimental conditions have been optimized to tune the textural properties by synthesizing materials at different times, temperatures, microwave powers, and solvent contents. The maximum specific surface area (SA_BET) of 840 m² g^-1 was estimated in the sample (NENP-1) synthesized at 140 °C with a microwave power of 400 W and reaction time of 30 min. One of the major objectives of achieving a large nitrogen content as high as 52 wt % in the framework was realized. As predicted, the nitrogen amelioration has benefitted the application by capturing a very good amount of CO₂ of 22.9 wt % at 273 K and 1 bar. Moreover, the CO₂ storage capacity per unit specific surface area (per m² g^-1) is highest among the reported nanoporous organic frameworks. The interaction of the CO₂ molecules with the polytriazine framework was theoretically investigated by using density functional theory. The experimental CO₂ capture capacity was validated from the outcome of the theoretical calculations. The superior CO₂ capture capability along with the theoretical investigation not only makes the nanoporous NENPs superior adsorbents for the energy and environmental applications but also provides a significant insight into the fundamental understanding of the interaction of CO₂ molecules with the amine functionalities of the nanoporous frameworks.

Design Strategies and Redox-Dependent Applications of Insoluble Viologen-Based Covalent Organic Polymers

Dicationic quaternary salts of 4,4'-bipyridine, also referred to as the viologen family, are well-known for their interesting redox chemistry, whereby they can be reversibly reduced into radical cationic and neutral moieties. Because of this ability to switch between different redox states, viologens have frequently been incorporated into covalent organic polymers (COPs) as molecular switches to construct stimuli-responsive materials. Although many viologen-based COPs have been reported, hyper-conjugated insoluble COPs started to emerge fairly recently and have not been comprehensively reviewed. In this review, we investigate the design strategies employed in the synthesis of insoluble viologen-based COPs, which can be broadly classified as those with viologen in the backbone and those with viologen as pendant groups. Chemical reactions used in the synthesis of each category, including Sonogashira-Hagihara cross-coupling, Menshutkin and Zincke reactions, are highlighted. Diverse applications of these COPs are discussed with particular reference to the redox state of viologen in each material. Uses of these materials for gas adsorption, organic and inorganic pollutant removal, catalysis, sensing and film fabrication are explored.

Porous Polymers as Multifunctional Material Platforms toward Task-Specific Applications

Exploring advanced porous materials is of critical importance in the development of science and technology. Porous polymers, being famous for their all-organic components, tailored pore structures, and adjustable chemical components, have attracted an increasing level of research interest in a large number of applications, including gas adsorption/storage, separation, catalysis, environmental remediation, energy, optoelectronics, and health. Recent years have witnessed tremendous research breakthroughs in these fields thanks to the unique pore structures and versatile skeletons of porous polymers. Here, recent milestones in the diverse applications of porous polymers are presented, with an emphasis on the structural requirements or parameters that dominate their properties and functionalities. The Review covers the following applications: i) gas adsorption, ii) water treatment, iii) separation, iv) heterogeneous catalysis, v) electrochemical energy storage, vi) precursors for porous carbons, and vii) other applications (e.g., intelligent temperature control textiles, sensing, proton conduction, biomedicine, optoelectronics, and actuators). The key requirements for each application are discussed and an in-depth understanding of the structure-property relationships of these advanced materials is provided. Finally, a perspective on the future research directions and challenges in this field is presented for further studies.

Fabrication and adsorption performance for CO2 capture of advanced nanoporous microspheres enriched with amino acids

Advanced porous organic materials with high gas storage capacity and high selectivity have been rapidly developed for CO₂ adsorbents in the recent decade, due to extremely high surface area and nanoscale pore size. Here, novel amino acids-incorporated solid adsorbents based on porous hypercrosslinked polymers were fabricated by a dispersion polymerization of an aromatic monomer and quaternary ammonium salt comonomer, subsequently a hypercrosslinked reaction and an ion-exchange step. The developed adsorbents presented mesopores structure with BET surface area up to 864 m²/g and an extremely high CO₂ capturing capacity up to 60.7 wt% (13.8 mmol/g) at 273 K/1 bar. The results also showed the adsorbent had an excellent recycling ability over repetitive adsorption-desorption cycles. All the results suggest that the amino acids-modified porous sorbents are promising CO₂ sorbents that can meet the challenges of the current CO₂ capture and storage technology.

Ultrafine Ag Nanoparticles Encapsulated by Covalent Triazine Framework Nanosheets for CO2 Conversion

This paper describes the fabrication of covalent triazine framework nanosheet-encapsulated Ag nanoparticles (Ag⁰@CTFN) via a simple combination of the ultrasonic exfoliation and solution infiltration method. The as-prepared Ag⁰@CTFN displays an order layered-sheet structure with abundant micropores and mesopores, whereas ultrafine Ag nanoparticles are confined and stabilized in their interlayers through the interaction between N sites of triazine units and Ag nanoparticles. Considering that the Ag⁰@CTFN possesses the merits of high nitrogen, low density, and abundant basic sites, it was thus believed to have enough abilities to adsorb and activate CO₂ in the CO₂ conversion and catalysis. Importantly, the Ag⁰@CTFN, as a heterogeneous catalyst, showed highly catalytic activity in the carboxylation of various alkynes with CO₂ at ambient pressure and low temperature. This catalyst also exhibited good functional group tolerance and excellent stability without any significant loss of its activity after six recycles. This work not only achieves valuable and novel composite material but also provides the first application of covalent triazine framework nanosheets in chemical conversion of CO₂, opening a new field in preparing recyclable heterogeneous catalysts to accelerate the utilization of CO₂.

Ag+ doped into azo-linked conjugated microporous polymer for volatile iodine capture and detection of heavy metal ions

We herein report the construction of a novel azo-linked conjugated microporous polymers (Ag@Azo_TPE-CMP), which possesses permanent porous structure and Ag⁺ loading up of 7.62% in the skeleton as effective sorption sites. Ag@Azo_TPE-CMP shows considerable adsorption capacity of iodine of 202 wt% in iodine vapor at 350 K. In addition, Ag@Azo_TPE-CMP can effectively remove heavy ions from ethanol-water solution.

Three birds, one stone - photo-/piezo-/chemochromism in one conjugated nanoporous ionic organic network

A nanoporous material bearing a high ion density and inherent organic radical character was synthesized by a facile one-pot process, which exhibits photo-, piezo- and chemochromism, driven by the diverse electron transfer processes between the acceptor framework and different electron donors. The responsive behavior is useful for its sensing application, as demonstrated here for pressure, anion and gas sensing.

Development of chemically activated N-enriched carbon adsorbents from urea-formaldehyde resin for CO2 adsorption: Kinetics, isotherm, and thermodynamics

Nitrogen enriched carbon adsorbents with high surface areas were successfully prepared by carbonizing the low-cost urea formaldehyde resin, followed by KOH activation. Different characterization techniques were used to determine the structure and surface functional groups. Maximum surface area and total pore volume of 4547 m² g^-1 and 4.50 cm³ g^-1 were found by controlling activation conditions. The optimized sample denoted as UFA-3-973 possesses a remarkable surface area, which is found to be one of the best surface areas achieved so far. Nitrogen content of this sample was found to be 22.32%. Dynamic CO₂ uptake capacity of the carbon adsorbents were determined thermogravimetrically at different CO₂ concentrations (6-100%) and adsorption temperatures (303-373 K) which have a much more relevance for the flue gas application. Highest adsorption capacity of 2.43 mmol g^-1 for this sample was obtained at 303 K under pure CO₂ flow. Complete regenerability of the adsorbent over four adsorption-desorption cycles was obtained. Fractional order kinetic model provided best description of adsorption over all adsorption temperatures and CO₂ concentrations. Heterogeneity of the adsorbent surface was confirmed from the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms fits and isosteric heat of adsorption values. Exothermic, spontaneous and feasible nature of adsorption process was confirmed from thermodynamic parameter values. The combination of high surface area and large pore volume makes the adsorbent a new promising carbon material for CO₂ capture from power plant flue gas and for other relevant applications.

Geometry variation in porous covalent triazine polymer (CTP) for CO2 adsorption

Covalent triazine-based organic polymers (CTPs), a sub class of covalent organic polymers (COPs), are promising materials for CO₂ adsorption although the impact of their dimensionality on the trapping process is not well-understood.

Towards energy efficient separations with metal organic frameworks

The huge energy requirement for industrial separations of chemical mixtures has necessitated the need for the development of energy efficient and alternative separation techniques in order to mitigate the negative environmental impacts associated with greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustions for energy generation.

Melamine-based dendrimer amine-modified magnetic nanoparticles as an efficient Pb(II) adsorbent for wastewater treatment: Adsorption optimization by response surface methodology

Magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with an average diameter of 64 nm was synthesized solvothermically and subsequently modified with melamine-based dendrimer amine (MDA-Fe₃O₄) via grafting method. The synthesized materials were characterized using DLS, SEM, XRD, FTIR, VSM, TGA and elemental analysis techniques. The MDA-Fe₃O₄ was employed for the efficient removal of Pb(II) ions from an aqueous solution. The adsorption efficiency was investigated in relation to the independent variables of Pb(II) concentration (80-250 mg L^-1), pH of the solution (3-7), adsorbent dosage (0.1-0.5 g L^-1) and temperature (10-40 °C) via a central composite design (CCD) using response surface methodology (RSM). The significance of independent variables and their interactions was tested using ANOVA at a 95% confidence limit (α = 0.05). A second-order quadratic model was established to predict the adsorption efficiency. Under the optimum condition (initial Pb(II) concentration = 110 mg L^-1, MDA-Fe₃O₄ dosage = 0.49 g L^-1, pH = 5 and temperature = 30 °C) a removal percentage of 85.6% was obtained. The isotherm data fitted well to the Freundlich model within the concentration range of the experimental study. A maximum adsorption capacity of 333.3 mg g^-1 was predicted by the Langmuir model. The adsorption rate of Pb(II) ions onto MDA-Fe₃O₄ was in good agreement with the pseudo-second-order model (R² = 0.999; k₂ = 4.7 × 10^-4 g mg^-1min^-1). Thermodynamically, adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic. The MDA-Fe₃O₄ was successfully regenerated using 0.3 M HCl with little loss of adsorption capacity (≈7%) for five successive adsorption cycles.