Porous Polymers Derived from Octavinylsilsesquioxane by Cationic Polymerization

Abstract A new rapid and efficient approach is developed for the preparation of porous materials via cationic polymerization of octavinylsilsesquioxane (OVS). The reaction proceeds rapidly and efficiently at room temperature, forming a predominantly covalent porous network polymer. A series of experiments are conducted to clarify the effects of reaction time, temperature, and solvent on the polymerization process. The results show that all the products possess a nanoporous structure with surface areas of approximately 300 – 620 m 2 g −1 and a pore volume of 0.15 – 0.54 cm 3 g −1 . The porosity of these polymers can be readily tailored by changing the reaction conditions. The post functionalization of the materials is further investigated by epoxidation and the application of these polymers as carbon dioxide adsorbents (up to 0.98 mmol g −1 ) is also explored. The work has general implications in understanding the reactive nature of the cationic polymerization of OVS and is very promising for promoting the application of porous materials.