A Perspective on the Application of Covalent Organic Frameworks for Detection and Water Treatment

Abstract

Global population growth and water resource scarcity are significant social problems currently being studied by many researchers focusing on finding new materials for water treatment. The aim is to obtain quality water suitable for drinking and industrial consumption. In this sense, an emergent class of crystalline porous materials known as Covalent-Organic Frameworks (COFs) offers a wide range of possibilities since their structures can be designed on demand for specific applications. Indeed, in the last decade, many efforts have been made for their use in water treatment. This perspective article aims to overview the state-of-the-art COFs collecting the most recent results in the field for water detection of pollutants and water treatment. After the introduction, where we overview the classical design strategies on COF design and synthesis for obtaining chemically stable COFs, we summarize the different experimental methodologies used for COFs processing in the form of supported and free-standing membranes and colloids. Finally, we describe the use of COFs in processes involving the detection of pollutants in water and wastewater treatment, such as the capture of organic compounds, heavy metals, and dyes, the degradation of organic pollutants, as well as in desalination processes. Finally, we provide a perspective on the field and the potential technological use of these novel materials.

Expanding the horizons of covalent organic frameworks: sub-stoichiometric synthesis as an emerging toolkit for functional COFs

“…A large number of as-synthesized and membrane-immobilized COFs have shown wide applications in micropollutant removal, oil water separation, decontamination of metal ions and biological applications. [154][155][156][157][158][159][160][161][162] Carbon allotropes containing COF hybrids are also known to improve their physicochemical properties for energy and environmental applications. [163][164][165] In this context, the rst report on a hybrid material comprising of a COF synthesized via a sub-stoichiometric approach (TT-COF) and graphene oxide (GO) appeared in 2022.…”

COF-300 synthesis and colloidal stabilization with substituted benzoic acids

“…Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are crystalline polymers featuring high porosity 2,3 that enables applications including gas storage, 4 catalysis, 5,6 and pollutant remediation for both metal-ion 7,8 and organic pollutants. 9–12 These polymers are highly modular with pore sizes and shapes dictated by monomer choice. 13 Based on monomer geometry, COFs are further divided into two dimensional (2D) and three dimensional (3D) network topologies.…”