Multicomponent covalent organic frameworks: design strategies and synergistic functions.
1State Key Laboratory of Silicon and Advanced Semiconductor Materials, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310058 China nhuang@zju.edu.cn.
Chemical Science
|September 11, 2025
Summary
Multicomponent Covalent Organic Frameworks (MC-COFs) use three or more building blocks for complex, tunable materials. These advanced frameworks show promise in catalysis, separation, sensing, and medicine.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) are tunable porous polymers.
- Conventional COFs use one or two monomers.
- Multicomponent COFs (MC-COFs) integrate three or more building blocks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive overview of MC-COF chemistry.
- To discuss construction strategies and emergent functions.
- To identify challenges and future directions in MC-COF research.
Main Methods:
- Overview of five construction strategies: isostructural/heterostructural copolymerization, multicomponent topological design, multicomponent reactions, and pore partitioning.
- Highlighting applications enabled by rational control of structure and chemical environments.
Main Results:
- MC-COFs enable precise spatial arrangement of diverse geometries and functionalities.
- Synergistic complexity is achieved beyond single- or binary-component systems.
- Emergent functions demonstrated in catalysis, alkane isomer separation, chemical sensing, and radiotherapy.
Conclusions:
- MC-COFs offer advanced capabilities through rational design.
- Challenges remain in characterization, dynamic linkages, and predictive design.
- Future integration of dynamic covalent chemistry, topological programming, and machine learning will unlock MC-COF potential.
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