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Alcoholysis of propylene oxide (PO) is achieved over azolate ionic liquids (IL, e.g., 1-hydroxyethyl-3-methyl imidazolium imidazolate) at room temperature, accessing glycol ethers in high yields with excellent selectivity (e.g., >99%). Mechanism investigation indicates that cooperation of hydrogen-bonding of the anion with methanol and that of the cation with PO catalyses the reaction.

Synthesis of renewable acetic acid from CO2 and lignin was effectively achieved over an ionic liquid (e.g., [BMIm][Cl])-based catalytic system containing Ru–Rh bimetal catalyst (Ru3(CO)12 and RhI3) and LiI. As far as we know, this is the first initiative to produce acetic acid from lignin and CO2.

A Rose bengal-functionalized porous organic polymer (RB-POP) was prepared with a specific surface area of up to 562 m2 g−1. In the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene, RB-POP supported Ag(0) nanoparticles exhibited excellent performance for catalyzing cyclization of propargyl alcohols with CO2 at 30 °C, achieving a TOF of 5000 h−1, the highest value among the reported ones.

A mesoporous imine-functionalized organic polymer (Imine-POP) was prepared based on the reaction of an aryl ammonium salt with an aromatic aldehyde in water without any catalyst and template. The Pd coordinated Imine-POP exhibited high catalytic activity for the N-formylation of amines with CO2/H2 at 100 °C, affording a series of formamides in high yields.

Mesoporous Troger's base-functionalized polymers (Meso-TBPs) were prepared using a sulfonic acid group functionalized ionic liquid/H2O system, with surface areas up to 431 m2 g−1 and pore sizes of 3–15 nm. Ir(II) coordinated Meso-TBPs exhibited extraordinary catalytic performance in the N-methylation of amines using methanol.

Reductive cleavage of the aryl C-O bonds in various phenolic compounds and aryl ethers was achieved using LiAlH4 combined with KOtBu and without any other catalysts or additives, solely producing arenes in high yields.

A Tröger's base-derived microporous organic polymer (TB-MOP) was designed, which could adsorb CO2 and coordinate with a Ru(III) complex. The resultant TB-MOP-Ru showed good CO2 and H2 adsorbing performances, and high efficiency for catalysing hydrogenation of CO2 to HCOOH with a turnover number up to 2254 at 40 °C.