Reticular Synthesis of tbo Topology Covalent Organic Frameworks

The metal–organic framework (MOF) HKUST-1 with a tbo topology serves as an archetypal tunable and isoreticular framework platform for targeting desired applications, but the design and synthesis of tbo-covalent organic frameworks (COFs) remains a formidable challenge. Here we demonstrate the successful use of reticular chemistry as an appropriate strategy for the design and deliberate construction of COFs with a tbo topology. The judicious selection of the perquisite planar building blocks, 4-connected square tetramine of porphyrin and 3-connected trigonal trialdehydes of triphenylamine, allows the condensation of two tbo-COFs, the first examples of COFs with a tbo topology. The resulting COFs both crystallize in the cubic Pm3̅ space group and adopt a non-interpenetrated open framework, in which each tritopic linker connects to three square units forming a truncated Td-octahedron and occupies the alternating triangular faces of the truncated octahedron. Owing to the presence of two different types of photoredox-active moieties, the two COFs can be efficient heterogeneous photocatalysts for the oxidative hydroxylation of arylboronic acids and the reductive defluoroalkylation of trifluoromethyl aromatics with alkenes. The present finding will provide an impetus to examine the potential of tbo-COFs as a new platform for engineering multifunctional materials via expansion and functionalization of building blocks.