Synthesis of "all-in-one" hypercrosslinked organic polymers: experimental and kinetic models for CO2 chemical fixation and iodine adsorption

A series of "all-in-one" hypercrosslinked polymers (HCPOH-C-n) have been synthesized by Friedel-Crafts alkylation of phenols tethered with adjustable alkyl chains and the quaternization reaction of N,N-dimethylethylenediamine in one-pot in the presence of dibromomethylbenzene as the crosslinking and ammonium agent. After characterization, the polymers were implemented for sustainable CO2 conversion and iodine adsorption. The experimental results showed that HCPOH-C-12 can effectively catalyze the CO2 cycloaddition reaction, and an excellent yield of 94% was confirmed after optimizing the conditions. The outstanding activity is attributed to the lower activation energy (69.52 kJ mol(-1)). The polymer of HCPOH-C-12 exhibits excellent substrate adaptability and recyclability, and a possible catalytic mechanism has been proposed. Furthermore, HCPOH-C-0 has showcased an impressive adsorption capacity for iodine, with the process aligning well with second-order adsorption kinetics and conforming to Langmuir adsorption isotherms. Iodine adsorption on HCPOH-C-0 is characterized as a spontaneous and endothermic process, indicative of an increase in the disorder at the solid-liquid interface during the adsorption phase.