Rapid One-Pot Synthesis\nof Hyper-Cross-Linked Polymers\nat Room Temperature for the Efficient Adsorption of VOCs

Hyper-cross-linked polymers (HCPs) represent a promising\ntype of\nadsorbent for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), exhibiting ultrahigh\nporosity, excellent physicochemical stability, and superior cost-effectiveness.\nHCPs are typically prepared using solvothermal methods, which require\nat least 18 h at 80 °C, resulting in significant energy and time\nconsumption, thus limiting large-scale production. Herein, we propose\na rapid self-cross-linking synthesis strategy to prepare HCPs in one-pot\nwithin 5 min at room temperature (25 °C) by predispersing the\ncatalyst and predissolving the monomers. The specific surface area\nof the prepared HCP, synthesized using 4,4′-bis(hydroxymethyl)biphenyl\nas monomer is as high as 1784 m<sup>2</sup>/g, which is comparable\nto those synthesized by solvothermal methods. This strategy makes\nthe self-cross-linking reaction more homogeneous, playing a crucial\nrole in accelerating the reaction and reducing the reaction temperature.\nIn addition, it is observed that the HCPs exhibited excellent adsorption\nproperties for benzene and methanol with adsorption amounts of up\nto 30.3 and 53.2 mmol/g, respectively. This work presents a simple\nstrategy for the rapid and large-scale synthesis of HCPs as efficient\nadsorbents for VOCs.