Vinylene‐Linked Covalent Organic Frameworks by Base‐Catalyzed Aldol Condensation

Two 2D covalent organic frameworks (COFs) linked by vinylene (−CH=CH−) groups (V‐COF‐1 and V‐COF‐2) are synthesized by exploiting the electron deficient nature of the aromatic s‐triazine unit of C(3)‐symmetric 2,4,6‐trimethyl‐s‐triazine (TMT). The acidic terminal methyl hydrogens of TMT can easily be abstracted by a base, resulting in a stabilized carbanion, which further undergoes aldol condensation with multitopic aryl aldehydes to be reticulated into extended crystalline frameworks (V‐COFs). Both V‐COF‐1 (with terepthalaldehyde (TA)) and V‐COF‐2 (with 1,3,5‐tris(p‐formylphenyl)benzene (TFPB)) are polycrystalline and exhibit permanent porosity and BET surface areas of 1341 m(2) g(−1) and 627 m(2) g(−1), respectively. Owing to the close proximity (3.52 Å) of the pre‐organized vinylene linkages within adjacent 2D layers stacked in eclipsed fashion, [2+2] photo‐cycloadditon in V‐COF‐1 formed covalent crosslinks between the COF layers.