Fluorinated Porous Organic Polymers via Direct C-H Arylation Polycondensation

Considering the high reactivity of the C-H bonds in fluorobenzenes for direct arylation and special properties of fluorinated polymers, herein, synthesis of fluorinated porous organic polymers via direct C-H arylation polycondensation is explored. The obtained polymers (FPOP-1 and FPOP-2) are well characterized and show high porosities with Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area of above 1000 m² g^-1. Different pore size distribution (PSD) profiles of porous polymers can be obtained by selecting different core constructing monomers. FPOP-2 exhibits a relatively narrower PSD with the dominant pore size at about 0.63 nm, which is more suitable for adsorption of small gas molecules (H₂, CO₂, and CH₄) than FPOP-1. As a porous fluorinated hydrophobic material, FPOP-2 possesses high adsorption ability for toluene (976 mg g^-1 at saturated vapor pressure and room temperature) due to its high porosities and binding affinities between the guest molecules and the host network. The good sorption capacity of FPOP-2 for toluene makes it show potential applications in elimination of harmful small aromatic molecules in the environment.