Comprehensive SummaryCovalent organic framework (COF) is a desirable platform to tailor electronic properties for improving photocatalytic performances. However, the study on excited‐state configurations that determine photogenerated carrier dynamics has long been neglected. Herein, we concentrate on the molecular design of β‐ketoenamine‐linked COFs to drive their photoisomerization via the excited‐state intra‐molecular proton transfer (ESIPT), which can induce the partial keto‐to‐enol tautomerization and accordingly rearrange the photoinduced charge distribution. We demonstrate that the push‐pull electronic effect of functional side groups attached on the framework linkers is directly correlated with the ESIPT process. The phenylene linkers modified with electron‐withdrawing cyano‐groups reinforce the ESIPT‐induced tautomerization, leading to the in situ partial enolization for extended π‐conjugation and rearranged electron‐hole distribution. In contrast, the electron‐rich linkers limit the photoisomerization of COF and suppress the photoinduced electron accumulation. Thus, the maximum hydrogen evolution rate is achieved by the cyano‐modified COF, reaching as high as 162.72 mmol·g–1·h–1 with an apparent quantum efficiency of 13.44% at 475 nm, which is almost 11.5‐fold higher than those of analogous COFs with electron‐rich linkers. Our work opens up an avenue to control over the excited‐state structure transformation for enhanced photochemical applications.
Ionic porous organic polymer(i-POP)is an emerging class of organic porous polyelectrolytes featuring ionized backbones or side groups on the skeletons. i-POPs are highly designable exhibiting large specific surface areas and intrinsic nanopores. Their physicochemical properties and functionality can be skillfully regulated by varying ionized building blocks.Compared with neutral porous organic polymers, i-POPs possess controllable ionic sites and high charge density, broadening the application ranges of porous organic polymers. Meanwhile, their applicability can be strengthened by the inherent association between pore confinement, skeleton function, and abundant ionic sites. The compositions, structures, and synthetic methods of amorphous i-POPs have been significantly explored in recent years. Tremendous studies have demonstrated that i-POPs are promising for various advanced applications including adsorption/separation, sensing, catalysis and so on.
Porous organic polymers (POPs), which feature high surface areas, robust skeletons, tunable pores, adjustable functionality and versatile applicability, have constituted a designable platform to develop advanced organic materials. Endowing polyelectrolytes with the distinct characteristics of POPs will attract mounting interest as the structural diversity of polyelectrolytes will bring the new hope of intriguing applications and potential benefits. In this review, the striking progress in ionized POPs (i-POPs) has been systematically summarized with regard to their synthetic strategies and applications. In the synthesis of i-POPs, we illustrate the representative ionic building blocks and charged functional groups capable of constructing the polyelectrolyte frameworks. The synthetic methods, including direct synthesis and post-modification, are detailed for the i-POPs with amorphous or crystalline structures, respectively. Subsequently, we outline the distinctive performances of i-POPs in adsorption, separation, catalysis, sensing, ion conduction and biomedical applications. The survey concerns the interplay between the surface chemistry, ionic interaction and pore confinement that cooperatively promote the performance of i-POPs. Finally, we conclude with the remaining challenges and promising opportunities for the on-going development of i-POPs.
Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) featuring periodic frameworks, extended π-conjugation and layered stacking structures, have emerged as a promising class of materials for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Nevertheless, the layer-by-layer assembly in 2D COFs is not stable during the photocatalytic cycling in water, causing disordered stacking and declined activity. Here, we report an innovative strategy to stabilize the ordered arrangement of layered structures in 2D COFs for hydrogen evolution. Polyethylene glycol is filled up in the mesopore channels of a β-ketoenamine-linked COF containing benzothiadiazole moiety. This unique feature suppresses the dislocation of neighbouring layers and retains the columnar π-orbital arrays to facilitate free charge transport. The hydrogen evolution rate is therefore remarkably promoted under visible irradiation compared with that of the pristine COF. This study provides a general post-functionalization strategy for 2D COFs to enhance photocatalytic performances.
High-quality multivariate COFs were synthesized with an aminocatalytic solvothermal method. They can achieve higher photocatalytic H2 evolution rates than the parent homo-COFs by adjusting the benzothiadiazole-containing components.