Catalyzing Knoevenagel Condensation and Radioiodine Sequestration with Tuned Porous Organic Polymers to Decipher the Role of Surface Area, Pore Volume, and Heteroatom

The impact of surface area, pore volume, and heteroatom type on the performance of porous organic polymers (POPs) in various applications remains unclear. To investigate this, three isoreticular POPs were employed having one common building block, resulting in varying surface areas, pore volumes, and heteroatom compositions. This study aimed to establish a correlation between the structural features of POPs (surface area, pore volume, and heteroatom type) with their adsorption capacity, and catalytic efficiency. To explore this relationship, the Knoevenagel condensation reaction was used as a model system, testing various substituted aldehydes to further validate our findings. Additionally, the capture of radioactive iodine vapor at 75 °C was simulated to examine the correlation with adsorption capacity, comparing the gravimetric iodine uptake capacity of each POP to gain insights into this relationship.