Strain-Promoted and New iClick Strategies for Porous Organometallic Polymers (POMPs)

Adam S. Veige, University of Florida
Kirk S. Schanze, University of Texas at San Antonio
Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Chemistry

This project will develop new synthetic strategies for producing porous organometallic polymers (POMPs) using a unique “inorganic click” (iClick) chemistry platform co-developed by the University of Florida (UF) and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). POMPs are advanced materials that integrate metal ions directly into the main chain of a porous polymer network, combining the diverse functionality of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with the stability and permeability of porous organic polymers (POPs).

The new phase of the project will apply recently discovered strain-promoted and other advanced iClick reactions to produce POMPs with higher surface areas, greater porosity, and tunable chemical environments. These materials will be synthesized and characterized using state-of-the-art techniques to understand their structure–property relationships. The expected outcomes include fundamental insights into the design of porous materials containing a wide range of metal ions, improved synthetic approaches for integrating metals into polymer backbones, and the creation of materials with enhanced stability compared to conventional COFs and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). These advances could enable next-generation materials for applications such as gas storage, catalysis, and energy storage.

If successful, the project will deliver a new platform for creating highly stable, metal-containing porous polymers that can be tailored for energy-relevant applications. Beyond their scientific impact, these materials have potential for deployment in carbon capture technologies, industrial separations, catalytic processes, and helping address energy efficiency and sustainability challenges.