Facile Approach to Preparing Microporous Organic Polymers through Benzoin Condensation

A series of microporous organic networks linked by α-hydroxyl ketone were synthesized based on benzoin self-condensation of multiformyl-containing building blocks. Fourier transform infrared and solid-state ¹³C CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy were utilized to confirm the α-hydroxyl ketone linkage of the obtained polymers. The hollow microspheric morphology can be observed from scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images. The materials, with Brunauer–Emmet–Teller specific surface area up to 736 m² g^–1, possess a hydrogen storage capacity up to 1.42 wt % at 77 K and 1.0 bar and a carbon dioxide uptake up to 15.3 wt % at 273 K and 1.0 bar. These excellent characteristics would make them become promising candidates for gas storage