Highly selective separation of sulfur dioxide in a triphenylamine-based nanoporous organic polymer

Abstract

The urgent need for effective SO2 capture materials has driven research into the development of novel nanoporous organic polymers (NOPs). Herein, we developed a triphenylamine-based nanoporous organic polymer, designated as ANOP-5, through the self-condensation of an AB2 triphenylamine monomer. The adsorption/separation properties of SO2 and CO2 are comparatively evaluated through the investigation of static gas adsorption isotherms. At 273 K and 100 kPa, ANOP-5 displays a high SO2 adsorption capacity of 399 cm3 g−1 and a high selectivity of 388 for SO2/CO2, with a molar ratio of SO2 to CO2 at 10/90. The exceptional performance of desulfurization is attributed to the strong interaction between ANOP-5 and SO2, in addition to the ultramicroporous structure. These findings are further supported by the dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations. This study contributes valuable insights into the design and preparation of NOPs with high gas adsorption properties, particularly for addressing environmental pollution challenges related to SO2 emissions.