Metal Microporous Aromatic Polymers with Improved Performance for Small Gas Storage

A novel metal-doping strategy was developed for the construction of iron-decorated microporous aromatic polymers with high small-gas-uptake capacities. Cost-effective ferrocene-functionalized microporous aromatic polymers (FMAPs) were constructed by a one-step Friedel-Crafts reaction of ferrocene and s-triazine monomers. The introduction of ferrocene endows the microporous polymers with a regular and homogenous dispersion of iron, which avoids the slow reunion that is usually encountered in previously reported metal-doping procedures, permitting a strong interaction between the porous solid and guest gases. Compared to ferrocene-free analogues, FMAP-1, which has a moderate BET surface area, shows good gas-adsorption capabilities for H2 (1.75 wt % at 77 K/1.0 bar), CH4 (5.5 wt % at 298 K/25.0 bar), and CO2 (16.9 wt % at 273 K/1.0 bar), as well as a remarkably high ideal adsorbed solution theory CO2 /N2 selectivity (107 v/v at 273 K/(0-1.0) bar), and high isosteric heats of adsorption of H2 (16.9 kJ mol(-1) ) and CO2 (41.6 kJ mol(-1) ).