Reversible iodine capture by nonporous adaptive hybrid[3]arene crystals

Iodine capture is of great importance for environmental protection and chemical safety, motivating the development of efficient materials for iodine adsorption. Herein, we report an adsorption strategy that uses nonporous adaptive crystals based on novel hybrid[3]arene 1 (1α). 1α exhibits the ability to effectively capture iodine from both iodine vapor and iodine dissolved in n-hexane, reaching maximum capacities of 1.87 g g^-1 and 0.74 g g^-1, respectively. The adsorption of iodine molecules by 1α is driven by C-H⋯I and O-H⋯I interactions. Notably, 1α can be effectively recycled at least 10 times without a significant reduction of iodine capture capacity. It is anticipated that this work will provide valuable insights into the design of nonporous adaptive crystals as versatile platforms for radioactive iodine capture with recyclability.