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Updated: Jun 12, 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
Solvent-Free Dehydrohalogenative Polycondensation toward Robust Covalent Organic Frameworks.
Fengdong Wang1,2, Shaochun Wu1,3, Sa Wang1
1College of Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|June 11, 2026
Summary
A novel solvent-free method enables scalable synthesis of high-crystalline covalent organic frameworks (COFs) using a metal salt eutectic melt. These advanced COFs demonstrate exceptional stability for lithium battery anodes.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Green Chemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Scalable synthesis of high-crystalline covalent organic frameworks (COFs) via dehydrohalogenative condensation is challenging.
- Existing methods often rely on solvothermal processes or lack efficiency for large-scale production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a green, scalable, and solvent-free synthesis for high-crystalline COFs.
- To demonstrate the utility of these COFs in energy storage applications, specifically as lithium battery anodes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a "metal salt eutectic melt" approach for dehydrohalogenative polycondensation.
- Employed alkali metal treatment of hydroxyl monomers and benzoic acid to form a self-generating melt.
- Conducted solvent-free melt polymerization at reduced temperatures.
Main Results:
- Achieved scalable (hundred-gram-scale) synthesis of polyether and polyester COFs with high crystallinity and porosity.
- Demonstrated direct formation of COF monoliths with mechanical properties comparable to commercial polymers.
- COF anodes exhibited outstanding stability over 10,000 cycles at 20 A g-1 in lithium batteries.
Conclusions:
- The metal salt eutectic melt method offers a green, simple, and scalable route to advanced COFs.
- These COFs possess excellent mechanical properties and superior electrochemical stability for energy storage.
- This work integrates materials design, green chemistry, and energy technology for sustainable advanced materials.
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