Bithiophene-based COFs for silver ions detection and removal

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are promising in the detection and removal of toxic heavy metal ions from water. However, achieving detection and removal functions requires systematic control of stability, porosity, pore environment, and luminescence properties, which remains a challenge for most COFs materials. Herein, we develop a bithiophene-based stable COF, TAPA-BTDC, with dual functions of simultaneous detection and removal of silver ions from aqueous solution through elaborate structural design and control of the pore environment. The obtained TAPA-BTDC has good thermal stability and chemical stability, possesses high crystallinity and moderate specific surface area (396.83 m2/g), and contains dense bithiophene-S chelating sites on the pore walls. These characteristics work together to give TAPA-BTDC the dual function of selective detection and effective removal of silver ions from aqueous solution. This dual function can be attributed to the π-complexation between bithiophene-S chelating sites and silver ions, as verified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The charge transfer between bithiophene-S and silver ions alters the weak fluorescence emission caused by the π−π layered structure, enabling TAPA-BTDC to selectively detect silver ions through fluorescence enhancement, and even trace amounts of Ag+ (2.4 × 10−4 mmol/L) can cause observable fluorescence emission. Meanwhile, these bithiophene-S scattered across the pore wall also provide a large number of accessible chelating sites for TAPA-BTDC, enabling it to effectively remove Ag+ with a maximum adsorption capacity up to 398.61 mg/g, and TAPA-BTDC can be easily regenerated five times without loss of performance. The results of this study reveal the exceptional potential of COFs with reasonably tailor-made structure in dealing with heavy metal ion contamination.