Porphyrin-based porous organic polymers synthesized using the Alder-Longo method: the most traditional synthetic strategy with exceptional capacity

• Published in: RSC advances 2024-06, Vol.14 (29), p.2837-2855
• Main Authors: Liu, Qian, Pan, Wen, Zhang, Junshan, Yang, Mei, Chen, Qin, Liu, Feng, Li, Juan, Wei, Songrui, Zhu, Guoji
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aldehydes; Chemical synthesis; Chemistry; Chromophores; Copolymerization; Electronic structure; Energy storage; Monomers; Polymers; Porphyrins
• ISSN: 2046-2069; 2046-2069
• DOI: 10.1039/d4ra02277g

Porphyrin is a typical tetrapyrrole chromophore-based pigment with a special electronic structure and functionalities, which is frequently introduced into various porous organic polymers (POPs). Porphyrin-based POPs are widely used in various fields ranging from environmental and energy to biomedicine-related fields. Currently, most porphyrin-based POPs are prepared via the copolymerization of specific-group-functionalized porphyrins with other building blocks, in which the tedious and inefficient synthesis procedure for the porphyrin greatly hinders the development of such materials. This review aimed to summarize information on porphyrin-based POPs synthesized using the Alder-Longo method, thereby skipping the complex synthesis of porphyrin-bearing monomers, in which the porphyrin macrocycles are formed directly via the cyclic tetramerization of pyrrole with monomers containing multiple aldehyde groups during the polymerization process. The representative applications of porphyrin-based POPs derived using the Alder-Longo method are finally introduced, which pinpoints a clear relationship between the structure and function from the aspect of the building blocks used and porous structures. This review is therefore valuable for the rational design of efficient porphyrin-based porous organic polymer systems that may be utilized in various fields from energy-related conversion/storage technologies to biomedical science. Porphyrin-based POPs obtained via the Alder-Longo method are reviewed in this work from the aspects of their design, preparation, and applications as well as the challenges and opportunities for their future development.