Green synthesis of an ionic porous organic polymer for efficient capture of environmentally toxic MnO4- and I3- from water.

The syntheses of ionic porous organic polymers (iPOPs) via an ionothermal strategy or using solvents with high boiling points are not environmentally friendly approaches. Furthermore, green synthesis of an ionic porous organic polymer has not been reported to date. The azo-coupling reaction is considered a green synthetic strategy and has been used to obtain a new ionic porous organic polymer (iPOP-6) wherein water is used as a solvent. iPOP-6 turns out to be a useful adsorbent that can scavenge toxic water pollutants (MnO4- and I3-) in an energy efficient manner via an ion exchange based adsorption process. The distribution coefficients (Kd) associated with the removal of MnO4- and I3- are greater than 105 mL g-1 - a desirable feature observed in a superior adsorbent. iPOP-6 can remove such pollutants from water samples collected from different water bodies with good capture efficiency. The removal mechanism was also ratified by theoretical studies. Overall, this work presents a new ionic POP with improved features and performance for water purification applications.

Covalent Organic Frameworks as Potential Drug Carriers and Chemotherapeutic Agents for Ovarian Cancers.

Anticancer drugs are often associated with limitations such as poor stability in aqueous solutions, limited cell membrane permeability, nonspecific targeting, and irregular drug release when taken orally. One possible solution to these problems is the use of nanocarriers of drug molecules, particularly those with targeting ability, stimuli-responsive properties, and high drug loading capacity. These nanocarriers can improve drug stability, increase cellular uptake, allow specific targeting of cancer cells, and provide controlled drug release. While improving the therapeutic efficacy of cancer drugs, contemporary researchers also aim to reduce their associated side effects, such that cancer patients are offered with a more effective and targeted treatment strategy. Herein, a set of nine porous covalent organic frameworks (COFs) were tested as drug delivery nanocarriers. Among these, paclitaxel loaded in COF-3 was most effective against the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells. This study highlights the emerging potential of COFs in the field of therapeutic drug delivery. Due to their biocompatibility, these porous COFs provide a viable substrate for controlled drug release, making them attractive candidates for improving drug delivery systems. This work also demonstrates the potential of COFs as efficient drug delivery agents, thereby opening up new opportunities in the field of sarcoma therapy.

Iodine and Nickel Ions Adsorption by Conjugated Copolymers Bearing Repeating Units of Dicyclopentapyrenyl and Various Thiophene Derivatives.

The synthesis of three conjugated copolymers TPP1-3 was carried out using a palladium-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition polymerization of 1,6-dibromopyrene with various dialkynyl thiophene derivatives 3a-c. The target copolymers were obtained in excellent yields and high purity, as confirmed by instrumental analyses. TPP1-3 were found to divulge a conspicuous iodine adsorption capacity up to 3900 mg g-1, whereas the adsorption mechanism studies revealed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Furthermore, recyclability tests of TPP3, the copolymer which revealed the maximum iodine uptake, disclosed its efficient regeneration even after numerous adsorption-desorption cycles. Interestingly, the target copolymers proved promising nickel ions capture efficiencies from water with a maximum equilibrium adsorption capacity (qe) of 48.5 mg g-1.