A two-step solvothermal procedure to improve crystallinity of covalent organic frameworks and achieve scale-up preparation

Abstract

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), as a novel class of functional polymers, exhibit versatile applications due to their crystalline porous structures and conjugated skeletons. However, synthesis of COFs with high crystallinity still faces great challenges, especially for scale-up preparation. Herein we report a two-step solvothermal process to improve crystallinity of COFs. The first step focuses on polycondensation of monomers with no need for optimizing crystallization conditions. In the second step, appropriate solvothermal conditions are used to facilitate crystallization of the COFs through defects correction and structural repairing. Furthermore, this strategy could also be applicable to scale-up synthesis of high quality COFs, which lays a foundation for their practical applications.