Nanopore

Fabrication

Materials science

Covalent organic framework

Porosity

Polymer

Alternative medicine

Nanotechnology

Organic chemistry

Hydrazone

Nanomaterials

Medicine

Chemistry

Covalent bond

Pathology

Journal of the American Chemical Society

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an emerging class of crystalline porous organic polymers with potential for innovative applications. Here we report the use of COFs as precursors for the fabrication of well-defined tubular nanomaterials. A proof-of-concept study is presented for the controllable fabrication of organic nanotubes through selective disassembly of two-dimensional heteropore COFs. Two dual-pore COFs are constructed based on orthogonal reactions. Each COF possesses two different kinds of pores, which are formed by linking all-hydrzaone-bonded nanopores with boroxines. Selectively hydrolyzing boroxine rings in the COFs while keeping hydrazone linkages untouched gives rise to organic nanotubes with diameters and shapes corresponding to the nanochannels of the COFs.

Fabricating Organic Nanotubes through Selective Disassembly of Two-Dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks