Among the most prominent fields of contemporary materials and chemical sciences is the design and synthesis of synthetic porous materials. Among these materials, reticulated crystalline 2D covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are progressively taking a prominent role. These porous polymers consist of entirely organic building blocks interconnected in 2D structures, showcasing considerable potential in applications such as catalysis, molecular sieving, gas storage, and, more recently, electronics. The synthetic adaptability of COFs, achievable through a diverse array of well-established organic reactions, enables the customization of their composition and properties using dynamic covalent chemistry approaches and post-synthetic modification. This synthetic flexibility positions them as ideal candidates for the production of cost-effective, flexible devices. Despite their versatility, most of these structures remain “passive”, which renders their function predefined by the choice of the building blocks used for construction of the interconnected network. Yet, the ability to remotely control the properties of these materials could open avenues for responsive device fabrication and drive the advancement of adaptive materials.
Among the various types of stimuli, light offers opportunities for non-invasive, waste-free control over the properties of the materials with the highest spatial temporal precision. Consequently, the aim of the LAD2DCOFs project was to develop photoswitchable semiconductive 2D COFs, establishing a foundation for future reconfigurable and adaptive devices. By integrating photoswitchable moieties into porous solids, this research places a primary focus on the understanding of the behavior of the photoswitchable elements in the porous scaffold, with the ultimate goal of leveraging fundamental studies for the development of new materials.
