Research
Porous Polymers​
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Porous polymers (often abbreviated to MOPs (Microporus organic polymers) or POPs (Porous Organic Polymers) are a class of porous material with pore sizes typically below 2 nm. They can be synthesised from a wide range of rigid organic building blocks using high yielding chemistries such as Friedel-Crafts alkylation, Schiff base chemistry, palladium catalysed Sonogashira and Suzuki reactions and nickel catalysed Yamamoto reactions. Due to the diverse range of reactions available it is possible to form porous polymers containing a wide range of functionalities, this together with their good thermal and chemical stabilities lends them to many applications on the molecular scale such as gas storage and capture, heterogeneous catalysis and energy storage In the Dawson group we research a variety of different porous polymers:
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Dispersible Microporous Polymers
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We recently reported the synthesis of a new type of microporous polymer which are formed using techniques more common in polymer chemistry. These materials contain outer solubilising chains and inner rigid crosslinked pore-forming cores. These materials show UV fluorescence which can be used to detect hazardous chemicals and emit light. They have also been investigated as catalysts.
Polym. Chem., 2019, 10, 3879-3886 link
Macromol. Rapid Commun. 2020, 41, 2000176 link
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Hypercrosslinked polymers
Hypercrosslinked polymers (HCPs) are a broad class of porous polymer typically synthesised using a variety of crosslinking chemistry. One common type of HCP uses widely available, cheap bulk chemicals as monomers which are crosslinked using Friedel-Crafts alkylation chemistry. These materials can be made on relatively large scales which is advantageous for larger scale applications such as the sequestering of other molecules like carbon dioxide (carbon capture) or toxic metals (water treatment).
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2020, 8, 7130-7144 link
ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces., 2019, 11, 22464-22473 link
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2012, 134, 10741-10744 link
Conjugated microporous polymers
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Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) are a class of porous polymer typified by their extended π-conjugation. They are typically synthesised using either palladium or nickel catalysts making them more expensive than HCPs. However, these C-C coupling reactions are tolerant to a wide range of functionalities. This combination of functionality and extended conjugation means they are particularly researched for electronic applications.
ACS Appl. Polym. Mater., 2020, 2, 3908-3915 link
Polym. Chem., 2014, 5, 6325-6333 link
Macromolecules, 2014, 47, 4607-4614 link
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Further reading
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Chem. Soc. Rev., 2017, 46, 3302-3321 link
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Polym. Int., 2013, 62, 345-352 link
Prog. Polym. Sci., 2012, 37, 530-563 link
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