Synthesis of extended π‐conjugated hypercrosslinked polymers via a Friedel–Crafts reaction and an intramolecular Scholl coupling reaction

Abstract

AbstractLong‐range conjugated structures are important for increasing the conductivity and broadening the application scope of hypercrosslinked polymers (HCPs). It is, however, difficult to fabricate long‐range conjugated structures using conventional HCP synthesis methods. Herein, we report a simple and efficient strategy for the synthesis of HCPs with extended π‐conjugated structures through Friedel–Crafts and intramolecular Scholl‐coupling reactions from readily available aromatic compounds under mild conditions. Two conjugated HCPs (C‐HCPs), namely, C‐HCP‐ATA and C‐HCP‐TPB, were prepared from anthracene (ATA) and triphenylbenzene (TPB), respectively, using this method. The proposed strategy not only ensures a high specific surface area of materials but also introduces a long‐range conjugated structure into HCPs. The lithium‐ion battery applications of the C‐HCPs were investigated. As anode materials, C‐HCP‐ATA and C‐HCP‐TPB displayed higher lithium storage capacities, better conductivity, and higher stability than their precursors, HCP‐ATA and HCP‐TPB, which were prepared using the conventional method.