Structural Characteristics and Environmental Applications of Covalent Organic Frameworks
Niaz Ali Khan,
Muhammad Humayun,
Muhammad Usman,
Zahid Ali Ghazi,
Abdul Naeem,
Abbas Khan,
Asim Laeeq Khan,
Asif Ali Tahir,
Habib Ullah
Affiliations
Niaz Ali Khan
Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Muhammad Humayun
Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Muhammad Usman
Center of Research Excellence in Nanotechnology, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Zahid Ali Ghazi
National Centre of Excellence in Physical Chemistry (NCEPC), University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan
Abdul Naeem
National Centre of Excellence in Physical Chemistry (NCEPC), University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan
Abbas Khan
Department of Chemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
Asim Laeeq Khan
Membrane Systems Research Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Lahore Campus, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Asif Ali Tahir
Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
Habib Ullah
Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are emerging crystalline polymeric materials with highly ordered intrinsic and uniform pores. Their synthesis involves reticular chemistry, which offers the freedom of choosing building precursors from a large bank with distinct geometries and functionalities. The pore sizes of COFs, as well as their geometry and functionalities, can be pre-designed, giving them an immense opportunity in various fields. In this mini-review, we will focus on the use of COFs in the removal of environmentally hazardous metal ions and chemicals through adsorption and separation. The review will introduce basic aspects of COFs and their advantages over other purification materials. Various fabrication strategies of COFs will be introduced in relation to the separation field. Finally, the challenges of COFs and their future perspectives in this field will be briefly outlined.
