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Updated: May 22, 2026
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Microfluidic-based Synthesis of Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs): A Tool for Continuous Production of COF Fibers and Direct Printing on a Surface
Published on: July 10, 2017
Formation of a surface covalent organic framework based on polyester condensation
Antonela C Marele1, Rubén Mas-Ballesté, Luigi Terracciano
1Dpto. de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|May 5, 2012
Summary
Researchers created a novel covalent organic framework (COF) on a gold surface. This new material features hexagonal cavities, offering potential for advanced surface chemistry applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are crystalline porous polymers with tunable structures.
- Surface-confined synthesis offers precise control over material formation and properties.
- Gold surfaces are widely used platforms for studying surface reactions and material growth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize a novel COF on an Au(111) surface.
- To characterize the structure and properties of the resulting COF in situ.
- To investigate the formation of ordered porous structures on a metallic substrate.
Main Methods:
- Surface-assisted reaction between 1,3,5-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)benzene and benzene-1,3,5-tricarbonyl trichloride.
- In situ characterization using variable temperature Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM).
- In situ characterization using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS).
Main Results:
- Successful synthesis of a novel COF via polyester condensation on an Au(111) surface.
- Formation of an ordered array of hexagonal cavities with an approximate size of 2 nm.
- In situ STM and XPS confirmed the COF formation and its structural characteristics.
Conclusions:
- A novel, surface-confined COF with well-defined hexagonal pores has been successfully synthesized.
- The study demonstrates the feasibility of creating ordered porous materials on metallic surfaces.
- The resulting COF material shows potential for applications in areas requiring precise surface patterning and molecular confinement.
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