Direct synthesis of covalent triazine-based frameworks (CTFs) through aromatic nucleophilic substitution reactions

Despite extensive efforts, only three main strategies have been developed to synthesize covalent triazine-based frameworks (CTFs) thus far. We report herein a totally new synthetic strategy which allows C–C bonds in the CTFs to be formed through aromatic nucleophilic substitution reactions. The as-synthesized CTF-1 and CTF-2 exhibited photocatalytic water splitting activity comparable to the CTFs made using ionothermal or Brønsted acid-catalyzed polymerization. Interestingly, CTF-2 distinguished itself by its two-photon fluorescence (emission at ∼530 nm under irradiation at either 400 nm or 800 nm).