Construction of Layer-Blocked Covalent Organic Framework Heterogenous Films via Surface-Initiated Polycondensations with Strongly Enhanced Photocatalytic Properties

Abstract

Imine-linked covalent organic frameworks (COFs) usually show high crystallinity and porosity, while vinyl-linked COFs have excellent semiconducting properties and stability. Therefore, achieving the advantages of imine-and vinyl-linkages in a single COF material is highly interesting but remains challenging. Herein, we demonstrate the fabrication of a layer-blocked COF (LB-COF) heterogeneous film that is composed of imine-and vinyl-linkages through two successive surface-initiated polycondensations. In brief, the bottom layer of imine-linked COF film was constructed on an amino-functionalized substrate via Schiff-base polycondensation, in which the unreacted aldehyde edges could be utilized for initiating aldol polycondensation to prepare the second layer of vinyl-linked COF film. The resultant LB-COF film displays excellent ordering due to the crystalline templating effect from the bottom imine-linked COF layer; meanwhile, the upper vinyllinked COF layer could strongly enhance its stability and photocatalytic properties. The LB COF also presents superior performance in photocatalytic uranium extraction (320 mg g −1 ), which is higher than the imine-linked (35 mg g −1 ) and the vinyl-linked (295 mg g −1 ) counterpart. This study provides a novel surface-initiated strategy to synthesize layer-blocked COF heterogeneous films that combine the advantages of each building block.