Base-mediated exfoliation of quinoline-linked covalent organic frameworks for heavy metal ion adsorption

Abstract

Multicomponent reactions that combine sequential reversible and irreversible bond forming reactions are efficient methods for the synthesis of robust covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with high crystallinity and stability. Here, we report a mild synthetic method for the synthesis of quinoline-linked covalent organic frameworks (Qu-COFs) using a multicomponent Doebner reaction. These Qu-COFs have high stability, crystallinity, porosity, and good wettability. The unique quinoline-4-carboxylic acid linkage resulting from the Doebner reaction enables ion insertion and exfoliation of bulk Qu-COF under mild conditions to give 2D nanosheets (Qu-CONs). Furthermore, the exfoliated Qu-CONs exhibit ultrafast cadmium ion uptake. Our work provides a mild and efficient method for synthesizing stable, functionally diverse 2D nanosheets and further expands the potential applications of COFs.

Graphical abstract: Base-mediated exfoliation of quinoline-linked covalent organic frameworks for heavy metal ion adsorption

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Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 May 2025
Accepted
21 Jul 2025
First published
23 Jul 2025
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2025, Advance Article

Base-mediated exfoliation of quinoline-linked covalent organic frameworks for heavy metal ion adsorption

Y. Xu, Y. Liu, X. Wang, H. Yang, P. Wang, W. Zhang, J. W. Ward and A. I. Cooper, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2025, Advance Article , DOI: 10.1039/D5TA03899E

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