Two microporous CTFs with triptycene (TPC) and fluorene (FL) have been synthesized through a mild AlCl3-catalyzed Friedel–Crafts reaction, with the highest surface area of up to 1668 m2 g−1 for non-ionothermal CTFs. CTF-TPC and CTF-FL show an excellent carbon dioxide uptake capacity of up to 4.24 mmol g−1 at 273 K and 1 bar.

A highly photoluminescent (PL) porous covalent triazine-based framework (PCTF-8) is synthesized from tetra(4-cyanophenyl) ethylene by using trifluoromethanesulfonic acid as the catalyst at room temperature. Due to triazine units in the framework, the PCTF-8 exhibits excellent thermal stability (>400 degrees C). The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area of PCTF-8 is 625 m(2) g(-1) which is lower than the one obtained from the synthesis under Lewis acid conditions (ZnCl2). At 1 bar and 273 K, the PCTF-8 adsorbs a significant amount of CO2 (56 cm(3) g(-1)) and CH4 (17 cm(3) g(-1)) which is highly comparable to nanoporous 1,3,5-triazine frameworks (NOP-1-6, 29-56 cm(3) g(-1)). This nitrogen rich framework exhibits good ideal selectivity (61 : 1 (85% N-2 : 15% CO2) at 273 K, 1 bar). Thus, it can be used as a promising candidate for potential applications in post-combustion CO2 capture and sequestration technologies. In addition, photoluminescence properties as well as the sensing behaviour towards nitroaromatics have been demonstrated. The fluorescence emission intensity of PCTF-8 is quenched by ca. 71% in the presence of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP). From time-resolved studies, a static quenching behaviour was found. This high photoluminescence property is used for hydrogen evolving organic photocatalysis from water in the presence of a sacrificial electron donor and a cocatalyst

By combining two different nitrile building blocks a synergistic increase in the CO2 uptake in the mixed-nitrile CTFs over the single-nitrile CTFs could be achieved.