CO Capture by Hydroxylated Azine-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) RIO-13, RIO-12, RIO-11, and RIO-11m were investigated towards their CO capture properties by thermogravimetric analysis at 1 atm and 40 °C. These microporous COFs bear in common the azine backbone composed of hydroxy-benzene moieties but differ in the relative number of hydroxyl groups present in each material. Thus, their sorption capacities were studied as a function of their textural and chemical properties. Their maximum CO uptake values showed a strong correlation with an increasing specific surface area, but that property alone could not fully explain the CO uptake data. Hence, the specific CO uptake, combined with DFT calculations, indicated that the relative number of hydroxyl groups in the COF backbone acts as an adsorption threshold, as the hydroxyl groups were indeed identified as relevant adsorption sites in all the studied COFs. Additionally, the best performing COF was thoroughly investigated, experimentally and theoretically, for its CO capture properties in a variety of CO concentrations and temperatures, and showed excellent isothermal recyclability up to 3 cycles.