Direct Synthesis of a Covalent Triazine-Based Framework from Aromatic Amides

There have been extensive efforts to synthesize crystalline covalent triazine-based frameworks (CTFs) for practical applications and to realize their potential. The phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5)-catalyzed direct condensation of aromatic amide instead of aromatic nitrile to form triazine rings. P2O5-catalyzed condensation was applied on terephthalamide to construct a covalent triazine-based framework (pCTF-1). This approach yielded highly crystalline pCTF-1 with high specific surface area (2034.1 m2 g−1). At low pressure, the pCTF-1 showed high CO2 (21.9 wt % at 273 K) and H2 (1.75 wt % at 77 K) uptake capacities. The direct formation of a triazine-based COF was also confirmed by model reactions, with the P2O5-catalyzed condensation reaction of both benzamide and benzonitrile to form 1,3,5-triphenyl-2,4,6-triazine in high yield.