Unprecedented high ideal selectivity in adsorption of CO 2 over N 2 (up to 138/1)

1. Development of a Novel Class of Organic Cage Framework (OCF) MaterialsWei Zhang, University of Colorado at Boulder, DMR 1055705 Zhang group successfully synthesized a series of novel organic cage compounds 1-4 with high efficiency from readily available starting materials via imine condensation. A covalently crosslinked cage framework was also obtained through the cage-to-framework strategy via the Sonogashira coupling of cage 4 with the 1,4-diethynylbenzene linker molecule. Cage compounds 1-4 and the OCF exhibited exceptional high ideal selectivity (36/1-138/1) in adsorption of CO2 over N2 under ambient conditions. Gas adsorption studies indicate that the high selectivity is provided not only by the amino group density (mol/g), but also by the intrinsic pore size of the cage structure, which can be tuned by judiciously choosing building blocks of different size. Unprecedented high ideal selectivity in adsorption of CO2 over N2 (up to 138/1) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 6650.

2. Development of a Novel Class of Organic Cage Framework (OCF) MaterialsWei Zhang, University of Colorado at Boulder, DMR 1055705 • Incorporating the design and synthetic strategies for organic porous materials into the • graduate course (organic functional materials: structures and properties) • Four undergraduate students participated in the research project of OCF development, • including one female student and one African-American student. • Two local high school students, one senior female, one junior male, also gained • research experience in the PI’s lab. • The PI served as a faculty mentor on a special “ACS Postdoc to Faculty (P2F)” • workshop designed for postdocs seeking a faculty position in academia, which was • hosted by ACS Division of Graduate Education in August 2011. • The PI has been working on organizing a special symposium on novel porous materials • that will be held in the 244th ACS meeting in 2012.