Synthesis of covalent organic framework materials and their application in the field of sensing

Covalent organic frameworks(COFs)are an emerging type of porous crystalline polymers formed by combining strong covalent bonds with organic building blocks.Due to their large surface area,high intrinsic pore space,good crystallization properties,high stability,and designability of the resultant units,COFs are widely studied and used in the fields of gas adsorption,drug transport,energy storage,photoelectric catalysis,electrochemistry,and sensors.In recent years,the rapid development of the Internet of Things and people’s yearning for a better life have put forward higher and more requirements for sensors,which are the core components of the Internet of Things.Therefore,this paper reviews the recent progress of COFs in synthesis methods and sensing applications,especially in the last five years.This paper first introduces structure,properties,and synthesis methods of COFs and discusses advantages and disadvantages of different synthesis methods.Then,the research progress of COFs in different sensing fields,such as metal ion sensors,gas sensors,biomedical sensors,humidity sensors,and pH sensors,is introduced systematically.Conclusions and prospects are also presented in order to provide a reference for researchers concerned with COFs and sensors.

Applications of covalent organic frameworks(COFs)：From gas storage and separation to drug delivery

Covalent organic frameworks（COFs） are an emerging class of porous covalent organic structures whose backbones were composed of light elements（B,C,N,O,Si） and linked by robust covalent bonds to endow such material with desirable properties,i.e.,inherent porosity,well-defined pore aperture,ordered channel structure,large surface area,high stability,and multi-dimension.As expected,the abovementioned properties of COFs broaden the applications of this class of materials in various fields such as gas storage and separation,catalysis,optoelectronics,sensing,small molecules adsorption,and drug delivery.In this review,we outlined the synthesis of COFs and highlighted their applications ranging from the initial gas storage and separation to drug delivery.

Assemblies of covalent organic framework microcrystals:multiple-dimensional manipulation for enhanced applications

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are well known as the next generation of shape-persistent zeolite analogues, which have brought new impetus to the development of porous organic materials as well as two-dimensional polymers. Since the advent of COFs in 2005, many striking findings have definitely proven their great potentials expanding applications across energy,environment and healthcare fields. With thorough exploration over a decade, research interest has been drawn on the scientific challenges on chemistry, while making full play of COF values has remained far from satisfactory yet. Thus opening an avenue to modulating COF assemblies on the multi-scale is no longer just an option, but a necessity for matching the application requirements with enhanced performances. In this mini-review, we summarize the recent progress on design of nanoscale COFs with varying forms. Detailed description is concentrated on the synthetic strategies of COF assemblies such as spheres, fibers,tubes, coatings and films, thereby shedding light on the flexible manipulation over dimensions, compositions and morphologies.Meanwhile, the advanced applications of nanoscale COFs have been discussed here with comparison of their bulky counterparts.