A pillar[5]arene-based covalent organic framework with pre-encoded selective host–guest recognition

Lu Liu; Yiming Hu; Shaofeng Huang; Yinghua Jin; Jingnan Cui; Weitao Gong; Wei Zhang

doi:10.1039/D1SC03680G

A pillar[5]arene-based covalent organic framework with pre-encoded selective host–guest recognition†

Lu Liu,^ac Yiming Hu,

^c Shaofeng Huang,

^c Yinghua Jin,

^c Jingnan Cui,

^a Weitao Gong

*^ab and Wei Zhang

*^c

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, P. R. China
E-mail: wtgong@dlut.edu.cn

^b Engineering Laboratory of Boric and Magnesic Functional Material Preparative and Applied Technology, Dalian, Liaoning Province, P. R. China

^c Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
E-mail: wei.zhang@colorado.edu

Abstract

It is highly desirable to maintain both permanent accessible pores and selective molecular recognition capability of macrocyclic cavitands in the solid state. Integration of well-defined discrete macrocyclic hosts into ordered porous polymeric frameworks (e.g., covalent organic frameworks, COFs) represents a promising strategy to transform many supramolecular chemistry concepts and principles well established in the solution phase into the solid state, which can enable a broad range of practical applications, such as high-efficiency molecular separation, heterogeneous catalysis, and pollution remediation. However, it is still a challenging task to construct macrocycle-embedded COFs. In this work, a novel pillar[5]arene-derived (P5) hetero-porous COF, denoted as P5-COF, was rationally designed and synthesized. Featuring the unique backbone structure, P5-COF exhibited selective adsorption of C₂H₂ over C₂H₄ and C₂H₆, as well as significantly enhanced host–guest binding interaction with paraquat, in comparison with the pillar[5]arene-free COF analog, Model-COF. The present work established a new strategy for developing COFs with customizable molecular recognition/separation properties through the bottom-up “pre-porous macrocycle to porous framework” design.

This article is part of the themed collections: Most popular 2021 supramolecular chemistry articles, 2021, Materials & Energy in Chemical Science - most popular articles 2021 and 2021 Chemical Science HOT Article Collection

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A pillar[5]arene-based covalent organic framework with pre-encoded selective host–guest recognition†

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A pillar[5]arene-based covalent organic framework with pre-encoded selective host–guest recognition

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