By FANG Qianrong and QIU Shilun's Group

The research team led by Porf. Qiu and Prof. Fang has long been devoted to synthesis and preparation of the covalent organic frameworks (COFs). COFs, as a new class of crystalline polymers, have attracted considerable attention over the past decade as promising applications in gas adsorption and separation, catalysis, optoelectronics, proton conduction, sensor, and drug deliver. In early 2018, their team reported a general strategy for generating a 3D carboxyl-functionalized COF through postsynthetic modification of a hydroxyl COF, and for the first time explore the 3D carboxyl COF for selective extraction of lanthanide ions (Figure 1). This  work was published in the prestigious journal Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. In Feb. 2018 (Angew. Chem.2018,130,6150-6156).

Later, their research team demonstrated a new method for the synthesis of COFs, which is carried out at room temperature (RT) ionothermal synthesis in an open system. This method is easy operation and environmental friendly. Furthermore, COFs can be fast prepared and IL can be reused without activity loss. Three new 3D COFs with good crystalline and high porosity were obtained thorough such method (Figure 2). The respective work was published in the prestigious journal JACS in March 2018 (J. Am. Chem. Soc.2018,140,4494-4498).   

Figure 1. 3D-COOH-COF	Figure 2. 3D-IL-COFs