Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) are ordered porous materials that have attracted significant attention due to its easy regeneration, mild reaction conditions and low cost. However, most HOFs either collapse after solvent removal or are unstable in heat and/or humidity. This has obstructed the development of practical applications of HOFs.
Recent studies led by Prof. HONG Maochun and Prof. YUAN Daqiang from Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, report a 3D porous structure with a 5-fold interpenetrated dia topology, HOF-TCBP. It possesses high BET surface area, excellent thermal stability, and easy regeneration. This combination of useful properties is rarely seen in other porous crystalline materials.
First, HOF-TCBP shows good water stability after immersing HOF-TCBP in water for 24 h or even one week.
Second, HOF-TCBP exhibits high thermal stability, whose PXRD patterns could be remained even at 200 oC in an air atmosphere.
Finally, after activation at 190 oC for 2 h, the BET of HOF-TCBP decreases 18%. Subsequently, the sample was dissolved in small amount of DMF and rapidly evaporated in a rotary evaporator to give a polycrystalline sample. N2 adsorption experiment shows the BET can be recovered, indicating that the HOF-TCBP can be easily regenerated.
Meanwhile, gas adsorption reveals that HOF-TCBP can highly selectively adsorb the light hydrocarbons at ambient conditions, thus separating them.
The study entitled “An Ultrastable and Easily Regenerated Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Molecular Framework with Permanent Porosity” has been published in Angew. Chem.
