Sensitive and selective detection of chemical and biological analytes is critical in various scientific and technological fields. As an emerging class of multifunctional materials, covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with their unique properties of chemical modularity, large surface area, high stability, low density, and tunable pore sizes and functionalities, which together define their programmable properties, show promise in advancing chemical detection. This review demonstrates the recent progress in chemical detection where COFs constitute an integral component of the achieved function. This review highlights how the unique properties of COFs can be harnessed to develop different types of chemical detection systems based on the principles of chromism, luminescence, electrical transduction, chromatography, spectrometry, and others to achieve highly sensitive and selective detection of various analytes, ranging from gases, volatiles, ions, to biomolecules. The key parameters of detection performance for target analytes are summarized, compared, and analyzed from the perspective of the detection mechanism and structure–property–performance correlations of COFs. Conclusions summarize the current accomplishments and analyze the challenges and limitations that exist for chemical detection under different mechanisms. Perspectives on how future directions of research can advance the COF-based chemical detection through innovation in novel COF design and synthesis, progress in device fabrication, and exploration of novel modes of detection are also discussed.
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Emissive Substoichiometric Covalent Organic Frameworks for Water Sensing and Harvesting
Emissive covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have recently emerged as next‐generation porous materials with attractive properties such as tunable topology, porosity, and inherent photoluminescence. Among the different types of COFs, substoichiometric frameworks (so‐called Type III COFs) are especially attractive due to the possibility of not only generating unusual topology and complex pore architectures but also facilitating the introduction of well‐defined functional groups at precise locations for desired functions. Herein, the first example of a highly emissive (PLQY 6.8%) substoichiometric 2D‐COF (
- Award ID(s):
- 1719875
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10384380
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Macromolecular Rapid Communications
- Volume:
- 44
- Issue:
- 11
- ISSN:
- 1022-1336
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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