Construction of Covalent\nOrganic Frameworks via Multicomponent\nReactions

Abstract

Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) combine at least three\nreactants\nto afford the desired product in a highly atom-economic way and are\ntherefore viewed as efficient one-pot combinatorial synthesis tools\nallowing one to significantly boost molecular complexity and diversity.\nNowadays, MCRs are no longer confined to organic synthesis and have\nfound applications in materials chemistry. In particular, MCRs can\nbe used to prepare covalent organic frameworks (COFs), which are crystalline\nporous materials assembled from organic monomers and exhibit a broad\nrange of properties and applications. This synthetic approach retains\nthe advantages of small-molecule MCRs, not only strengthening the\nskeletal robustness of COFs, but also providing additional driving\nforces for their crystallization, and has been used to prepare a series\nof robust COFs with diverse applications. The present perspective\narticle provides the general background for MCRs, discusses the types\nof MCRs employed for COF synthesis to date, and addresses the related\ncritical challenges and future perspectives to inspire the MCR-based\ndesign of new robust COFs and promote further progress in this emerging\nfield.