Influence of aggregated morphology on carbon dioxide uptake of polythiophene conjugated organic networks

• Topological-directed design and synthesis two conjugated porous polymers.
• Two thiophene-based CMPs show different aggregated morphologies.
• They exhibit similar porosity structure and different CO2 uptake capacity.

Two novel thiophene-based conjugated networks CMPs-TTT and CMPs-DTBT were designed and prepared with different steric configuration building blocks by FeCl3 oxidative coupling polymerization. UV–vis spectra, FE-SEM and TEM images showed CMPs-TTT and CMPs-DTBT having the different aggregated morphologies. After porous analysis and gas adsorption test, the result showed CO2 uptake capacity of CMPs-DTBT with amorphous aggregation model is 2.88 times and 2.66 times greater than that of CMPs-TTT with large lamellar structure model at 273 K and 298 K (1.0 bar), respectively. As a result, this communication proved that change the topological structure of the polymer can influence the CO2 adsorption capacity significantly.

Two thiophene-based conjugated networks were prepared with different steric configuration building blocks, and they show various CO2 uptake capacity and sorption isosteric enthalpies, although they have identical chemical constitution.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide