Boosting Hydrostability and Carbon Dioxide Capture of Boroxine‐Linked Covalent Organic Frameworks by One‐Pot Oligoamine Modification

Abstract

AbstractBoron‐based covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are susceptible to nucleophilic attack by water at the electron‐deficient boron sites and even slightly humid air could destroy the integrity of their porous frameworks within hours. Such instability is a major limitation to the practical applications of boron‐based COFs. Herein we report a significant enhancement of hydrostability of boroxine‐linked COFs (COF‐1 as representative) by modification with an oligoamine (tetraethylenepentamine, TEPA), which leads to survival of the modified COF in water and long‐time stability under humid atmosphere. Meanwhile, the TEPA modification also results in a considerable increase in CO2 adsorption capacity up to 13 times and a dramatic improvement in CO2/N2 selectivity in low pressure region, which make the modified COF suitable for capturing CO2 from flue gas. This work provides a facile, efficient, and scalable method to greatly improve hydrostability of boroxine‐linked COFs and reshape them into high‐performance CO2 adsorbents.