About the book

Inspired by the fascinating molecular pores with unique biological functions in nature, artificial porous structures have attracted increasing research enthusiasm over the past decades. Although substantial achievements in porous materials have been realized, the construction of topologically designed pores is still challenging. Recently, the emergence of covalent organic frameworks (COFs), which are constructed based on organic and polymer chemistry, makes it possible to design artificial pores with controlled pore size, topology, and interface properties. COFs are crystalline porous materials constructed by the precise reticulation of organic building blocks via dynamic covalent bonds. Distinct from non-covalent interactions which tend to produce isostructures, the covalent bonds provide the possibility to design pores in an accurate way owing to the predetermined reaction pathways. In addition, the appropriate polycondensation of organic units enables the formation of extended 2D and 3D polymer architectures with periodically ordered skeletons and well-defined pores. Benefiting from their high surface area, tailorable structures, and tunable chemistry, COFs have been considered potentially superior candidates for various applications including gas adsorption and separation, catalysis, energy storage and conversion, optoelectronics, mass transport, and sensing. The focus of this book will be on the historic achievement of COFs to provide comprehensive yet clear guidance for researchers on structural design, synthetic protocols, and functional exploration.