This work reports the general fabrication of hierarchical sheet/plate-like M-BDC MOFs for electrochemical non-enzymatic glucose sensing.

Designing high-performing proton-conducting materials with in-built −SO3H moieties in the crystalline organic framework is very challenging in the context of developing an efficient solid electrolyte for fuel cells. Herein, we report a simple chemical route for synthesizing crystalline microporous sulfonic acid-functionalized porous organic polymers (MPOPS-1) via extended condensation polymerization between two organic monomers (i.e., cyanuric chloride and 2,5-diaminosulfonic acid) under refluxing conditions. The crystal structure of this organic framework has been indexed from powder X-ray diffraction data, revealing a monoclinic phase with a unit cell volume of 1627 Å3. The presence of in-built sulfonic acid groups in MPOPS-1 contributes significantly to the high proton conductivity of this porous organic polymer. The resulting MPOPS-1 displays proton conductivities of 1.49 × 10–5 and 3.07 × 10–2 S cm–1 at 350 K temperature under anhydrous and humid conditions, respectively, outperforming many previously reported porous organic polymers.

Bifunctional porous nanomaterials are very demanding in the context of heterogeneous catalysis. A highly ordered 2D-hexagonal bifunctionalized mesoporous SBA-15 type material MPBOS (mesoporous bifunctionalized organosilica) has been synthesized via a post synthetic route. The surface of the SBA-15 has been functionalized with (3-chloropropyl)­triethoxy­silane to obtain MPCOS (mesoporous chloro-substituted organosilica) material, which undergoes an SN2 substitution reaction of the surface a grafted chloro group with the amine group of organic ligand 5-amino­isophthalic acid, in the presence of potassium carbonate under refluxing conditions, offering the bifunctional material MPBOS. The bifunctionalized material with exceptionally high Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 652 m2 g–1 and average pore diameter of 9.4 nm has been characterized thoroughly with powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), N2 sorption analysis, solid state 13C cross-polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (CP MAS NMR) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and UV–vis spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), thermogravimetric differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA), NH3 temperature programmed desorption (NH3-TPD), and CHN analysis. The total acidity of this material has been determined from the NH3-TPD analysis, and this is estimated as 1.94 mmol g–1. The acidic and basic sites present in this bifunctionalized material have been explored in catalytic conversion of abundant carbohydrates to hydroxy­methyl­furfural (HMF) with the highest yield of 74 mol % from fructose in organic polar solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) under microwave assisted heating conditions.

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) bearing multicarboxylate linkers are in great demand for designing robust heterogeneous catalysts. A new microporous Ce(iii)-based metal organic framework (CeNDC) has been synthesized under solvothermal conditions, which showed strong paramagnetism and a CO uptake capacity of 1.64 mmol g (7.23 weight%) at 273 K. The CeNDC showed high catalytic activity in CO fixation for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates with a maximum yield of 92% at ambient temperature and pressure. This rare earth metal-based MOF has been well characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, PXRD, N adsorption/desorption, UHR-TEM, FESEM, FTIR, C MAS NMR and TGA. Here, we have carried out magnetic analysis, which revealed that the Ce(iii) in this MOF exhibitedF magnetism in the ground state. The CeNDC catalyst showed high recycling efficiency in CO fixation reactions, together with retention of the MOF structure after several rounds of reuse. Presumably, the presence of acidic Ce(iii) metal ions and microporosity in the coordinated polymer network is responsible for the high catalytic activity.

Hg/Hg(II) have been recognized as being highly poisonous to humans as they cause severe health and environmental problems. Designing a suitable adsorbent decorated with an abundance of accessible chelating sites at the solid surface together with high affinity for heavy metals is a big challenge to overcoming mercury contamination. Here we report a new thioether-functionalized covalent triazine nanosphere, SCTN-1, which has been employed as a highly efficient adsorbent for the removal of toxic mercury from contaminated water with an excellent adsorption performance of 1253 and 813 mg g −1 for Hg 2+ and Hg(0) respectively, which largely outperforms several recently reported thiol and thioether-functionalized adsorbents. Our kinetic studies suggest that SCTN-1 showed the fastest adsorption rate for the removal of mercury from aqueous solutions among all adsorbents known until date. Based on its adsorption performance and high recycling efficiency, this thio-functionalized nanoporous polymeric material has huge potential to be explored in environmental remediation.