Amidation, Esterification, and Thioesterification of a Carboxyl-Functionalized Covalent Organic Framework

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Organic Chemistry
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are crystalline porous materials with tunable properties.
• Post-synthetic modification (PSM) allows for the introduction of new functionalities onto existing COF structures.
• Developing efficient PSM strategies for COFs is crucial for expanding their applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate novel post-synthetic modification reactions on a two-dimensional COF, COF-616.
• To introduce a diverse range of functional groups onto COF-616 under mild conditions.
• To create functionalized COFs for effective water contaminant removal.

Main Methods:

• Three new PSM reactions (amidation, esterification, thioesterification) were performed on carboxyl-functionalized COF-616.
• Modifications were carried out under mild reaction conditions with high yields.
• Chelating functionalities were incorporated to create adsorbent materials.

Main Results:

• Successful amidation, esterification, and thioesterification of COF-616 were achieved.
• The PSM strategy allows for the introduction of various functional groups with high efficiency.
• The modified COF-616 demonstrated efficient removal of several water contaminants.

Conclusions:

• A versatile PSM strategy for COF-616 was established, enabling facile functionalization.
• The developed adsorbents show promise for environmental remediation applications.
• This work expands the utility of COFs in water purification technologies.