Facile approach to preparing microporous organic polymers through benzoin condensation.

A series of microporous organic networks linked by α-hydroxyl ketone were synthesized based on benzoin self-condensation of multiformyl-containing building blocks. Fourier transform infrared and solid-state (13)C CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy were utilized to confirm the α-hydroxyl ketone linkage of the obtained polymers. The hollow microspheric morphology can be observed from scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images. The materials, with Brunauer-Emmet-Teller specific surface area up to 736 m(2) g(-1), possess a hydrogen storage capacity up to 1.42 wt % at 77 K and 1.0 bar and a carbon dioxide uptake up to 15.3 wt % at 273 K and 1.0 bar. These excellent characteristics would make them become promising candidates for gas storage.