Ultrathin Covalent Organic Framework Anchored on Graphene for Enhanced Organic Pollutant Removal

Abstract

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are of great potential as adsorbents owing to their tailorable functionalities, low density and high porosity. However, their intrinsically stacked two-dimensional (2D) structure limits the full use of their complete surface for sorption, especially the internal pores. The construction of ultrathin COFs could increase the exposure of active sites to the targeted molecules in a pollutant environment. Herein, an ultrathin COF with a uniform thickness of ca. 2 nm is prepared employing graphene as the surface template. The resulting hybrid aerogel with an ultralow density (7.1 mg cm−3) exhibits the ability to remove organic dye molecules of different sizes with high efficiency. The three-dimensional (3D) macroporous structure and well-exposed adsorption sites permit rapid diffusion of solution and efficient adsorption of organic pollutants, thereby, greatly contributing to its enhanced uptake capacity. This work highlights the effect of COF layer thickness on adsorption performance.