Traditional heterogeneous catalytic systems are often limited by low mass transfer efficiency between the gas and liquid phases, primarily due to the low solubility of gases in liquids. By introducing permanent pores, porous liquids (PLs) effectively address this challenge. A research team led by Professor Yuan-Biao Huang at the Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Science, has successfully prepared COF-301-PL through surface functionalization and ion-exchange, transforming COF into a liquid state while preserving its excellent porous properties.
COF-301-PL exhibits a unique "breathing effect", wherein its pore structure can dynamically adjust in response to pressure change. This property enables significantly enhanced CO₂ capture and catalytic conversion, as demonstrated by its 24- and 17-fold higher catalytic efficiency for the reaction of CO₂ with propylene oxide compared to conventional PEGS and solid COF-301, respectively. This superior performance can be attributed to its ability to adapt its pore size to accommodate more CO₂ molecules under high pressure.
The unique "breathing effect" of COF-301-PL, attributed to its flexible porous framework, allows for dynamic adjustment of its pore structure in response to CO₂ adsorption and desorption. This property endows COF-301-PL with significantly enhanced CO₂ capture and catalytic performance, particularly under high-pressure conditions. The development of liquid COFs with "breathing effect" has injected new vitality into the field of porous materials, holding great promise for applications in gas separation, catalysis, and other fields.
National Science Review
Experimental study