Tuneable sulfonated hypercrosslinked polymers for selective esterification: insights into performance and stability.

We report sulfonated hypercrosslinked polymers (SHCPs) as heterogeneous catalysts for the selective esterification of hexanoic acid with benzyl alcohol. The SHCPs demonstrate tuneable catalytic activity and selectivity, outperforming conventional acid catalysts. We also explore detrimental structural changes over multiple cycles, providing insights for optimising long-term catalyst performance.

Regulating the Hydrophilicity of Hyper-Cross-Linked Polymers via Thermal Oxidation for Atmospheric Water Harvesting.

We explore the thermal oxidation of hyper-cross-linked polymers to enhance their hydrophilicity and efficacy in atmospheric water harvesting. Comprehensive chemical and physical characterizations are used to confirm the successful incorporation of polar oxygen moieties and the preservation of porosity upon thermal treatment. Newly introduced oxygen-based functional groups significantly improve water sorption properties, increasing total water uptake capacities by up to 400% and shifting water uptake onsets to significantly lower relative humidity.

A Sulfonated Covalent Organic Framework for Atmospheric Water Harvesting.

We report a sulfonated covalent organic framework (COF) capable of atmospheric water harvesting in arid conditions. The isothermal water uptake profile of the framework was studied, and the network displayed steep water sorption at low relative humidity (RH) in temperatures of up to 45 °C, reaching a water uptake of 0.12 g g at 10 % RH and even 0.

A Robust and Low-Cost Sulfonated Hypercrosslinked Polymer for Atmospheric Water Harvesting.

The availability of freshwater is rapidly declining due to over-exploitation and climate change, with multiple parts of the globe already facing significant freshwater scarcity. Here, a sulfonated hypercrosslinked polymer able to repeatedly harvest significant amounts of water via direct air capture is reported. Water uptake from relative humidities as low as 10% is demonstrated, mimicking some of the harshest environments on Earth.