Linking Nitrogen-Rich Pillar[5]arene to Hyper-Cross-Linked Polymers for Efficient and Simultaneous Capture of Iodine and Methyl Iodide

The simultaneous capture of radioactive molecular iodine (I2) and methyl iodide (CH3I) coexisting in the exhaust stream of nuclear power plants has become an urgent and challenging task. However, there are a few adsorbents that can be used to achieve this goal. Herein, three nitrogen-rich pillar[5]arene-based hyper-cross-linked polymers are presented. Among these polymers, P[5]A-TPTA12, which was constructed with deca(diethylaminoethoxy)pillar[5]arene and 2, 4, 6-tris(4-(bromomethyl)phenyl)-1, 3, 5-triazine, exhibited excellent uptake capacities for iodine gas (4.83 g g–1) and methyl iodine (1.08 g g–1) under static sorption conditions. A great deal of effective and diverse desorption sites, including nucleophilic N sites, aromatic rings, and oxygen atoms, were responsible for the excellent adsorption capacity. The work presented not only an important method for the removal of radioactive contaminants but also a remarkable employment of macrocycle-based materials in environmental remediation.