Unraveling the Activity and Mechanism of TM@g-C4N3 Electrocatalysts in the Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

In this work, a high-throughput screening strategy and density functional theory (DFT) are jointly employed to identify high-performance TM@g-C4N3 (TM = 3d, 4d, 5d transition metals) single-atom catalysts (SACs) for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Comprehensive studies demonstrated that Cu@, Zn@, and Ag@g-C4N3 show high ORR catalytic activities under both acidic and alkaline conditions with favorable overpotentials (ηORR) of 0.70, 0.89, and 0.89 V, respectively; among them, Cu@g-C4N3 is the best candidate. The ORR follows a four-electron mechanism with the final product H2O/OH-. Cu@, Zn@, and Ag@g-C4N3 catalysts also exhibit good thermal (500 K) and electrochemical (0.93-3.14 V) stabilities. Cu@, Zn@, and Ag@g-C4N3 demonstrate superior activities with low ηORR due to its moderate adsorption strength of *OH. The ηORR and the Gibbs free energy changes of *OH (ΔG4(acidic)/ΔG4(alkaline)) resemble a volcano-type relationship under acidic/alkaline conditions, respectively. Additionally, the O-O bond length in *OOH emerged as an effective structural descriptor for rapidly identifying the promising electrocatalysts. This research provides valuable insights into the origin of the ORR activity on TM@g-C4N3 and offers useful guidance for the efficient exploration of high-performance catalyst candidates.

A highly proton conductive perfluorinated covalent triazine framework via low-temperature synthesis.

Proton-conducting materials are essential to the emerging hydrogen economy. Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are promising proton-conducting materials at high temperatures but need more effective sites to strengthen interaction for proton carriers. However, their construction and design in a concise condition are still challenges. Herein, we show a low temperature approach to synthesize CTFs via a direct cyclotrimerization of aromatic aldehyde using ammonium iodide as facile nitrogen source. Among the CTFs, the perfluorinated CTF (CTF-TF) was successfully synthesized with much lower temperature ( ≤ 160 °C) and open-air atmosphere. Due to the additional hydrogen-bonding interaction between fluorine atoms and proton carriers (H3PO4), the CTF-TF achieves a proton conductivity of 1.82 × 10-1 S cm-1 at 150 °C after H3PO4 loading. Moreover, the CTF-TF can be readily integrated into mixed matrix membranes, displaying high proton conduction abilities and good mechanical strength. This work provides an alternative strategy for rational design of proton conducting media.

Rapid Synthesis of Covalent Organic Frameworks with a Controlled Morphology: An Emulsion Polymerization Approach via the Phase Transfer Catalysis Mechanism.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with a periodic network of permanent porosity and ordered structures have witnessed enormous potential in many applications. However, the synthesis of COFs with controllable morphologies under mild conditions remains a critical issue. Herein, we report a novel strategy to synthesize ß-ketoenamine-linked COFs by emulsion polymerization via phase transfer catalysis for the first time. This new approach employs commercially available pyridinium surfactants as emulsifiers for emulsion polymerization, which function as both catalysts and morphological regulators. By controlling the interfacial interaction in the emulsion, the TpPa-COF can be prepared into different morphologies, i.e., spheres, bowls, and fibers. Furthermore, the COF emulsion can be directly used to prepare a film by applying an electric field, providing a new route to prepare COF films. This phase transfer catalysis method also allows the synthesis of the TpPa-COF on a gram scale. The strategy is fast, facile, and effective in improving the morphology and particle size, providing a prospective route for the green preparation of functional COFs.

Covalent Pyrimidine Frameworks via a Tandem Polycondensation Method for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production and Proton Conduction.

The development of heteroaromatic conjugated porous polymers (H-CPPs) have received enormous research interests, because of the important functional roles of the heteroatoms in photocatalysis and proton conduction. However, due to the synthetic challenges deriving from the stable structures, the structural diversity and synthetic methods of them are still limited. Herein, a new type of H-CPPs, covalent pyrimidine frameworks (CPFs), via an efficient tandem polycondensation reaction between aldehyde, acetyl, and amidine monomers is reported. The resulting CPFs are bridged by pyrimidine units, rich of nitrogen atoms and can be structurally regulated on demand. The CPFs are shown to be active photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution from methanol via a photo-thermo-catalysis process, achieving an excellent hydrogen evolution rate of 5282.8 µmol h-1  g-1 . The CPFs can be further processed into a mixed matrix membrane, displaying an excellent proton conductivity of 1.30 × 10-2  S cm-1 at 413 K under anhydrous condition.

Designed polymeric conjugation motivates tunable activation of molecular oxygen in heterogeneous organic photosynthesis.

Photocatalytic oxidative organic reactions are important synthetic transformations, and research on reaction selectivity by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is significant. To date, however, there has rarely been any focus on the directed generation of ROSs. Herein, we report the first identification of tunable molecular oxygen activation induced by polymeric conjugation in nonmetallic conjugated microporous polymers (CMP). The conjugation between these can be achieved by the introduction of alkynyl groups. CMP-A with an alkynyl bridge facilitates the intramolecular charge mobility while CMP-D, lacking an alkynyl group enhances the photoexcited carrier build-up on the surface from diffusion. These different processes dominate the directed ROS generation of the superoxide radical (O2-) and singlet oxygen (1O2), respectively. This theory is substantiated by the different performances of these CMPs in the aerobic oxidation of sulfides and the dehydrogenative coupling of amines, and could provide insight into the rational design of CMPs for various heterogeneous organic photosynthesis.

Hydrogen Bond Activation by Pyridinic Nitrogen for the High Proton Conductivity of Covalent Triazine Framework Loaded with H3 PO4.

Under high temperature anhydrous conditions, it is still a formidable challenge to improve the performance of proton-conducting materials based on H3 PO4 and elucidate its proton conduction mechanism. Herein, a highly stable covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) based on H3 PO4 is reported. The more pyridinic nitrogen CTFs contain, the higher proton conductivity is. Compared with H3 PO4 @CTF-L with less pyridinic nitrogen, H3 PO4 @CTF-H has a higher proton conductivity of 1.6×10-1  S cm-1 at 150 °C under anhydrous conditions, which does not decay after about 18 months exposure in air. The high proton conductivity is associated with the formation and breaking of the activated Ntriazine ⋯H+ ⋯H2 PO4 - pairs by pyridinic nitrogen of CTFs. The outstanding long-term stability is mainly attributed to the ultra-strong triazine skeleton structure of CTFs.

Dispersive 2D Triptycene-Based Crystalline Polymers: Influence of Regioisomerism on Crystallinity and Morphology.

The merging of good crystallinity and high dispersibility into two-dimensional (2D) layered crystalline polymers (CPs) still represents a challenge because a high crystallinity is often accompanied by intimate interlayer interactions that are detrimental to the material processibility. We herein report a strategy to address this dilemma using rationally designed three-dimensional (3D) monomers and regioisomerism-based morphology control. The as-synthesized CPs possess layered 2D structures, where the assembly of layers is stabilized by relatively weak van der Waals interactions between C-H bonds other than the usual π-π stackings. The morphology and dispersibility of the CPs are finely tuned via regioisomerism. These findings shed light on how to modulate the crystallinity, morphology, and ultimate function of crystalline polymers using the spatial arrangements of linking groups.

Covalent triazine frameworks constructed via benzyl halide monomers showing high photocatalytic activity in biomass reforming.

Here we report the synthesis of covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) using benzyl halide monomers which are more cost-effective and with higher availability than previous ones. The resulting CTFs were successfully applied for efficient photocatalytic reforming of glucose for the first time, with a high hydrogen evolution rate up to 330 µmol g-1 h-1 under pH = 12. This work presented a new way to synthesize CTFs and further exhibited their potential applications in photocatalytic biomass reforming.

Retraction: Transition-metal-free synthesis of conjugated microporous polymers via amine-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1039/D1SC03970A.].

Intermolecular cascaded π-conjugation channels for electron delivery powering CO2 photoreduction.

Photoreduction of CO2 to fuels offers a promising strategy for managing the global carbon balance using renewable solar energy. But the decisive process of oriented photogenerated electron delivery presents a considerable challenge. Here, we report the construction of intermolecular cascaded π-conjugation channels for powering CO2 photoreduction by modifying both intramolecular and intermolecular conjugation of conjugated polymers (CPs). This coordination of dual conjugation is firstly proved by theoretical calculations and transient spectroscopies, showcasing alkynyl-removed CPs blocking the delocalization of electrons and in turn delivering the localized electrons through the intermolecular cascaded channels to active sites. Therefore, the optimized CPs (N-CP-D) exhibiting CO evolution activity of 2247 µmol g-1 h-1 and revealing a remarkable enhancement of 138-times compared to unmodified CPs (N-CP-A).

Palladium as a Superior Cocatalyst to Platinum for Hydrogen Evolution Using Covalent Triazine Frameworks as a Support.

Abundant pyridinic nitrogen in the triazine units of covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) is very useful in various heterogeneous catalysis reactions. Herein, a tunable CTF platform with the same porous structure was designed and synthesized to study the interaction between palladium/platinum (Pd/Pt) and pyridinic nitrogen of CTFs. The smaller Pd nanoparticles were formed because of the stronger interaction between Pd and pyridinic nitrogen atoms of CTFs, which is more beneficial for the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Moreover, the stronger interaction between the Pd nanoparticles and CTFs is also beneficial for photoelectron transfer. Under the same conditions, the hydrogen evolution rate of 1 wt % Pd@CTF-HC6 is up to 11 times more than that of 1 wt % Pt@CTF-HC6. The hydrogen evolution rate of 1 wt % Pd@CTF-N approaches 10 556 µmol h-1 g-1 and is about 5 times more than that of 1 wt % Pt@CTF-N.

Strong-Base-Assisted Synthesis of a Crystalline Covalent Triazine Framework with High Hydrophilicity via Benzylamine Monomer for Photocatalytic Water Splitting.

Methods to synthesize crystalline covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are limited and little attention has been paid to development of hydrophilic CTFs and photocatalytic overall water splitting. A route to synthesize crystalline and hydrophilic CTF-HUST-A1 with a benzylamine-functionalized monomer is presented. The base reagent used plays an important role in the enhancement of crystallinity and hydrophilicity. CTF-HUST-A1 exhibits good crystallinity, excellent hydrophilicity, and excellent photocatalytic activity in sacrificial photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (hydrogen evolution rate up to 9200 µmol g-1 h-1 ). Photocatalytic overall water splitting is achieved by depositing dual co-catalysts in CTF-HUST-A1, with H2 evolution and O2 evolution rates of 25.4 µmol g-1 h-1 and 12.9 µmol g-1 h-1 in pure water without using sacrificial agent.

Rapid Polymerization of Aromatic Vinyl Monomers to Porous Organic Polymers via Acid Catalysis at Mild Condition.

Porous organic polymers (POPs) have enormous applications in various fields and thus have received a lot of research attention in recent decades. Numerous synthetic methods have been developed, but mild synthesis conditions and fast polymerization rate are highly desired. Herein, high porous POPs with high surface areas from aromatic vinyl monomers by using acid catalysis method is reported. The polymerization is ultrafast and could be accomplished even in 5 min at room temperature. Furthermore, the surface area can be tuned by using various acid catalysts and controlling the reaction time. Due to the high surface area, these POPs show promising adsorption of carbon dioxide and hydrogen, respectively. Furthermore, the large π-system of the building block and high surface area of the POPs also make them show potential applications in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution as well as promising catalyst support for metal nanoparticles.

Layered Thiazolo[5,4- d] Thiazole-Linked Conjugated Microporous Polymers with Heteroatom Adoption for Efficient Photocatalysis Application.

Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) with high surface areas, tunable building blocks, and fully conjugated structures have found important applications in optoelectronics. Here, we report a new series of CMPs with tunable band gaps by introducing thiazolo[5,4- d] thiazole as the linkage. Because they are synthetic polymers, the geometries and structures could be rationally designed. Their intrinsic wide visible-light absorption properties and layered architectures endow them with a promising photocatalytic performance. The role of geometries, surface areas, and morphologies of the CMPs in photocatalysis abilities is examined and discussed. The results indicate that geometries have a direct impact on the surface areas and morphologies of the CMPs and thus exert great influence on photocatalysis.

Controlling Monomer Feeding Rate to Achieve Highly Crystalline Covalent Triazine Frameworks.

The synthesis of highly crystalline covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) with ultrastrong covalent bonds (aromatic CN) from the triazine linkage presents a great challenge to synthetic chemists. Herein, the synthesis of highly crystalline CTFs via directly controlling the monomer feeding rate is reported. By tuning the feeding rate of monomers, the crystallization process can be readily governed in a controlled manner in an open system. The sample of CTF-HUST-HC1 with abundant exposed {001} crystal facets has the better crystallinity and thus is selected to study the effect of high crystallinity on photoelectric properties. Owing to the better separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and charge transfer, the obtained highly ordered CTF-HUST-HC1 has superior performance in the photocatalytic removal of nitric oxide (NO) than its lesser crystalline counterparts and g-C3 N4 .

Soluble Hyperbranched Porous Organic Polymers.

Soluble porous organic polymers (SPOPs) are currently the subject of extensive investigation due to the enhanced processability compared to insoluble counterparts. Here, a new concept for the construction of SPOPs is presented, which combines the unique topological structure of hyperbranched polymers with rigid building blocks. By using this facile, one-step strategy, a class of novel SPOPs which possess surface areas up to 646 m2 g-1 have been synthesized. The extended π-conjugated backbone affords the polymers bright fluorescence under UV irradiation. Interestingly, after dissolution in a suitable solvent that was slowly evaporated, the polymers retain a large extent of porosity. The SPOPs are potential candidates for gas storage and separation, photovoltaic, and biological applications. In particular, due to the presence of an internal porous structure and open conformations, they show high drug loading efficiency (1.91 g of ibuprofen per gram), which is considerably higher than conventional porous organic polymers.

Crystalline Covalent Triazine Frameworks by In†Situ Oxidation of Alcohols to Aldehyde Monomers.

Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) with aromatic triazine linkages have recently received increasing interest for various applications because of their rich nitrogen content and high chemical stability. Owing to the strong aromatic C=N bond and high chemical stability, only a few CTFs are crystalline, and most CTFs are amorphous. Herein we report a new general strategy to give highly crystalline CTFs by in situ formation of aldehyde monomers through the controlled oxidation of alcohols. This general strategy allows a series of crystalline CTFs with different monomers to be prepared, which are shown to have higher thermal stability and enhanced performance in photocatalysis as compared with the less crystalline or amorphous CTFs. This open-system approach is very simple and convenient, which presents a potential pathway to large-scale industrial production of crystalline CTFs.

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.

A Facile Approach to Prepare Multiple Heteroatom-Doped Carbon Materials from Imine-Linked Porous Organic Polymers.

In this paper, we proposed a new strategy to prepare multiple heteroatom doped (N, P-doped) porous carbon materials with high surface area of ~1,535 m2 g-1 simply by pyrolysis of imine-linked porous organic polymers (POPs) synthesized via Schiff base condensation. The strategy is simple without any post-processing and various heteroatoms could be involved. Scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectra, Nitrogen gas adsorption-desorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy have been used to characterize the morphology, the structure and the composition of the materials. The multiple heteroatom doped porous carbon materials also display high electrocatalytic performance as exampled by the application in oxygen reduction, which showed the catalyst favors 4-electron transfer during the process, along with superior stability and higher tolerance to methanol as compared to the Pt/C. These results indicate the present method is promising for the preparation of multi-heteroatom doped carbon materials in the application of electrocatalysis.

Heteroatom-rich porous organic polymers constructed by benzoxazine linkage with high carbon dioxide adsorption affinity.

We report the synthesis and characterization of a new type of porous organic polymers linked by benzoxazine. The polymers were readily synthesized by condensation reaction of diamines, triphenol and paraformaldehyde. The formation of the linkage and porous structures were studied by infrared spectroscopy, solid-state 13C-CP MAS NMR and nitrogen sorption measurements. The porosity study revealed the resultant polymers are porous materials with surface area as high as 231m2g-1. Benzoxazine backbone endows the polymers with abundant heteroatoms (N and O), which makes these polymers promising candidates for carbon dioxide adsorption and storage. We found that the best polymer showing the highest carbon dioxide adsorption up to 6.81wt% at 273K and 1bar, which is due to the most microporous structure and largest adsorption affinity. These results demonstrate a convenient approach to synthesize heteroatom-rich porous organic polymers for gas adsorption and storage.