Rapid Polymerization of Aromatic Vinyl Monomers to Porous Organic Polymers via Acid Catalysis at Mild Condition

Abstract

Porous organic polymers (POPs) have enormous applications in various fields and thus have received a lot of research attention in recent decades. Numerous synthetic methods have been developed, but mild synthesis conditions and fast polymerization rate are highly desired. Herein, high porous POPs with high surface areas from aromatic vinyl monomers by using acid catalysis method is reported. The polymerization is ultrafast and could be accomplished even in 5 min at room temperature. Furthermore, the surface area can be tuned by using various acid catalysts and controlling the reaction time. Due to the high surface area, these POPs show promising adsorption of carbon dioxide and hydrogen, respectively. Furthermore, the large π‐system of the building block and high surface area of the POPs also make them show potential applications in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution as well as promising catalyst support for metal nanoparticles.