Polyphenylene networks containing triptycene units: Promising porous materials for CO2, CH4, and H2 adsorption

The synthesis of triptycene-based three-dimensional networks and their uptake towards various gases are described. The target polymers TPP1-3 were synthesized by employing a convenient palladium-catalyzed SuzukiMiyaura cross-coupling reaction between a triptycene synthon bearing two peripheral dibromotetraphenyl benzene (TBT) units and various arylboronic acid/ester moieties. Polymers TPP1-3 were characterized by several instrumental analysis techniques, namely, solid-state C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and emission spectrophotometry. Brunauer-EmmettTeller (BET) nitrogen adsorption investigation of TPP1-3 revealed surface areas up to 468 m(2) g(-1) and an average pore volume of similar to 0.25 cm(3) g(-1). Interestingly, low-pressure gas adsorption studies of TPP1-3 disclosed a CO2 uptake for TPP1 of 78.4 mg g 1 (273 K) and a gas adsorption capacity for TPP2 towards H-2 and CH4 of 10 mg g 1 (77 K) and 7.9 mg g(-1) (273 K), respectively.