AUTHOR=Cao Xuan Thang , Kumar Subodh , Nemec Ivan , Kopp Josef , Varma Rajender S. 

TITLE=Solvent-Directed Morphological Transformation in Covalent Organic Polymers

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Materials

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/materials/articles/10.3389/fmats.2022.889679

DOI=10.3389/fmats.2022.889679

ISSN=2296-8016

ABSTRACT=<p>Synthesis of bi-functional covalent organic polymers in two distinctive morphologies has been accomplished by simply switching the solvent from DMF to DMSO when 1,3,5-tribenzenecarboxyldehyde and 2,5-diaminobenzene sulfonic acid were reacted <italic>via</italic> Schiff base condensation reaction to afford covalent organic polymers (COPs) encompassing flower (F-COP<sub><italic>DMF</italic></sub>)- and circular (C-COP<sub><italic>DMSO</italic></sub>)-type morphologies. Chemical and morphological natures of the synthesized COPs were compared by characterization using TEM, SEM, XRD, FT-IR, and XPS analysis techniques. Besides diverse morphology, both the polymeric materials were found to comprise similar chemical natures bearing protonic acid–SO<sub>3</sub>H and Lewis base–C=N functionalities. Subsequently, both the COPs were evaluated for the synthesis of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) by the dehydration of fructose to investigate their morphology-dependent catalytic activity.</p>