Controlled Construction of High Mechanical Strength Pure COF Gels by Nonclassical Crystallization for AgCl‐Functionalized Efficient Removal of Iodide Ions

ABSTRACT Macroscopic pure covalent organic framework (COF) gels are attractive due to their porosity and processability; however, their mechanical properties are limited by an unclear mechanism and difficulties in regulation. Here, alkylamines are introduced to provide noncovalent interactions, guiding COF gel crystallization from conventional pathways to controllable non‐classical pathways. Non‐classical crystallization significantly prolongs the kinetic assembly phase, promoting the gradual formation of a 3D network from 1D nanotube intermediates through non‐covalent entanglements, and completing the gelation transition at high temperatures. By regulating the variable non‐covalent interactions during the non‐classical crystallization process, we successfully synthesized a series of structurally controllable pure COF gels, named NCCOF‐Gel‐C x , achieving control over morphology, multi‐scale porosity, and mechanical properties. The gel achieves a compressive modulus of up to 59.06 MPa, which is 2–3 orders of magnitude higher than most previously reported gels. Thanks to its interconnected, multi‐level pore structure, NCCOF‐Gel‐C 4 exhibits outstanding iodine ion adsorption performance when used as a carrier for AgCl. This work not only provides visual insight into the non‐classical formation mechanism of COF gels but also establishes a generally applicable controllable synthesis route, offering a molecular‐level strategy for designing high‐strength, pure COF gel materials and advancing their development toward practical applications.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2026-06-24
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.76631
Primary Topic
Covalent Organic Framework Applications
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Controlled Construction of High Mechanical Strength Pure COF Gels by Nonclassical Crystallization for AgCl‐Functionalized Efficient Removal of Iodide Ions

Yingdi Zou, J. Zhang, Y D Tang, Ningning He et al.
Advanced Functional Materials
Covalent Organic Framework Applications
article

Controlled Construction of High Mechanical Strength Pure COF Gels by Nonclassical Crystallization for AgCl‐Functionalized Efficient Removal of Iodide Ions

Yingdi Zou, J. Zhang, Y D Tang, Ningning He, Zhimin Jia, Lijian Ma, Yingdan Zhang, Xirui Zhao, Ting Jiang, Yang Li
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Macroscopic pure covalent organic framework (COF) gels are attractive due to their porosity and processability; however, their mechanical properties are limited by an unclear mechanism and difficulties in regulation. Here, alkylamines are introduced to provide noncovalent interactions, guiding COF gel crystallization from conventional pathways to controllable non‐classical pathways. Non‐classical crystallization significantly prolongs the kinetic assembly phase, promoting the gradual formation of a 3D network from 1D nanotube intermediates through non‐covalent entanglements, and completing the gelation transition at high temperatures. By regulating the variable non‐covalent interactions during the non‐classical crystallization process, we successfully synthesized a series of structurally controllable pure COF gels, named NCCOF‐Gel‐C x , achieving control over morphology, multi‐scale porosity, and mechanical properties. The gel achieves a compressive modulus of up to 59.06 MPa, which is 2–3 orders of magnitude higher than most previously reported gels. Thanks to its interconnected, multi‐level pore structure, NCCOF‐Gel‐C 4 exhibits outstanding iodine ion adsorption performance when used as a carrier for AgCl. This work not only provides visual insight into the non‐classical formation mechanism of COF gels but also establishes a generally applicable controllable synthesis route, offering a molecular‐level strategy for designing high‐strength, pure COF gel materials and advancing their development toward practical applications.

Advanced Functional Materials
Army Medical University (CN), Sichuan University (CN), West China Hospital of Sichuan University (CN), Mianyang Central Hospital (CN), Southwest Hospital (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Openalex Percentile: Top 15%
Covalent Organic Framework Applications
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