Confining Functional Nanoparticles into Colloidal Imine-Based COF Spheres by a Sequential Encapsulation-Crystallization Method.

Here, a two-step method is reported that enables imparting new functionalities to covalent organic frameworks (COFs) by nanoparticle confinement. The direct reaction between 1,3,5-tris(4-aminophenyl)benzene and 1,3,5-benzenetricarbaldehyde in the presence of a variety of metallic/metal-oxide nanoparticles resulted in embedding of the nanoparticles in amorphous and non-porous imine-linked polymer organic spheres (NP@a-1). Post-treatment reactions of NP@a-1 with acetic acid under reflux led to crystalline and porous imine-based COF-hybrid spheres (NP@c-1). Interestingly, Au@c-1 and Pd@c-1 were found to be catalytically active.