All the reactions were carried out under an inert atmosphere of dry argon. Unless otherwise specified, the chemical reagents were used without further purification as purchased from Merck, Aldrich, Alfa Aesar, Honeywell, Loba Chemie, and HiMedia. Decane-5,6-dione dioxime
1, 2-((4-(tert-butyl)phenyl)ethynyl)benzaldehyde
5, and 2,5-bis(phenylethynyl)terephthalaldehyde
6 were synthesized following the literature [
34,
41]. Synthon
4 was synthesized following a reported procedure[
42,
43] and its structure was confirmed by
1H- and
13C- nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) (c.f. synthetic procedure (i) and figures S1, S6, and S11 in the supporting information file). Anhydrous solvents, namely, hexane, tetrahydrofuran (THF), dichloroethane (DCE), dichloromethane (DCM), chloroform (CHCl
3) methanol, and diisopropylamine (
iPr
2NH) were further dried over molecular sieves and deoxygenated by bubbling with dry argon gas for 30 minutes. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) was performed on aluminum sheets coated with silica gel 60 F254 and revealed using a UV lamp. NMR spectra (
1H: 600 MHz,
13C: 150 MHz) were recorded using a JEOL resonance ECZ600R spectrometer at 25 °C, using CDCl
3 and CD
2Cl
2 as a solvent with the chemical shifts (δ) given in ppm and referenced to tetramethylsilane (TMS). Electro-spray ionization mass spectra (ESI-MS) were recorded on waters QTOF Micro YA263 using a single quadrapole detector-2 (SQD-2). UV-Vis spectra were recorded using a Shimadzu UV1800 spectrophotometer. FT-IR spectra were recorded on PerkinElmer G spectrophotometer using a KBr matrix. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) was recorded on Mettler Toledo Star SW 8.10 system (model number TGA/SDTA851e) analyzer and was used to measure the thermal stability of composites from room temperature to 800 °C with a heating rate of 10 °C/min under an inert atmosphere. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) data were recorded with a Thermo scientific using a monochromatic Al K-radiation source (1486.6 eV) with the spot size of samples 10 x 10 × 5 mm. Spectra acquisition and processing were carried out using the software Thermo Advantage Version 4.87. The base pressure in the XPS analysis chamber was in the range 10
‒10 to 10
‒9 torr. The analyzer was operated with a pass energy of 20 eV, dwell time of 50 min and with a step size of 0.1 eV. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area were performed at 77 K using a liquid nitrogen bath (77 K) on a Quantachrome Quadrasorb automatic volumetric instrument. All the samples were outgassed for 12 h at 120 °C under vacuum prior to the gas adsorption studies. The surface areas were evaluated using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) model applied between P/P
0 values of 0.05 and 0.3 for samples. The pore size distributions were calculated using the non-localized density functional theory (NLDFT) method. The surface area of each of the sample has been measured multiple times and then averaged out for proper comparison.
2.1. Synthesis
2.1.1. Synthesis of CM1 (Procedure A).
2-(4-((4-(tert-butyl)phenyl)ethynyl)phenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolane 4 (540 mg, 1.5 mmol, 2.3 eq.), decane-5,6-dione dioxime 1 (405 mg, 2.0 mmol, 3 eq.) and iron(II) chloride (FeCl2, 83 mg 0.66 mmol, 1 eq.) in 6 mL of degassed methanol was refluxed under argon for 24 hours. The solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure and the orange red solid was precipitated from methanol. The resulting orange red precipitate was filtered and washed with methanol, hexane followed by diethyl ether. Yield: (691 mg, 93 %). 1H-NMR (CDCl3, 600 MHz, ppm): δ 7.70 (d, J = 7.7 Hz, 4H, ArH), 7.55 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 4H, ArH), 7.48 (d, J = 8.3 Hz, 4H, ArH), 7.38 (d, J = 8.1 Hz, 4H, ArH), 2.83 (t, J = 7.7 Hz, 12H, N=C-CH2), 1.58 (m, 12H, CH2), 1.36–1.33 (m, 30H, CH2 & CH3), 0.90 (t, 18H, CH3); 13C-NMR (CDCl3, 150 MHz, ppm): δ 157.14 (C=N), 151.24, 131.68, 131.38, 130.59, 125.37, 122.39, 120.86, 89.91, 88.91, 34.84, 31.29, 29.28, 27.19, 22.52, 13.93; ESI-MS; Calcd. for M•+ C66H88B2FeN6O6: 1138.63; found 1138.63 FTIR (KBr, cm−1): 2958 (Aliphatic C-H str), 2211 (CΞC str), 1468 (Aliphatic C-H ben) 1396 (B-O str), 1184 (B-C str), 828 (Ar-C-H ben).
2.1.2. Synthesis of CM2
CM2 was prepared following procedure A with: 2-(4-((4-(tert-butyl)phenyl)ethynyl)phenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolane 4 (280 mg, 0.77 mmol, 2.3 eq.), 1,2-Cyclohexanedione dioxime 2 (147 mg, 1.0 mmol, 3 eq.), and iron(II) chloride (FeCl2, 43 mg 0.34 mmol, 1 eq.) in 5 mL of degassed methanol. Brick-red solid (298 mg, 91%). 1H-NMR (600 MHz, CD2Cl2, ppm): δ 7.69 (d, J = 8.1 Hz, 6H, ArH), 7.53-7.51 (brm, 6H, ArH), 7.45 (d, J = 8.4 Hz, 4H, ArH), 2.97 (brs, 12H, CH2), 1.86 (brs, 12H, CH2), 1.38 (brs, 18H, CH3); 13C-NMR (150 MHz, CD2Cl2, ppm): δ 152.66 (C=N), 142.14, 135.11, 132.25, 131.74, 130.93, 126.00, 123.02, 121.00, 90.00, 89.48, 35.26, 31.48, 26.80, 22.17; ESI-MS; Calcd. for M•+ C54H58B2FeN6O6: 964.39; found 964.39 FTIR (KBr, cm−1): 2947 (Aliphatic C-H str), 2208 (CΞC str), 1431 (Aliphatic C-H ben) 1399 (B-O str), 1194 (B-C str), 829 (Ar-C-H ben).
2.1.3. Synthesis of CM3
CM3 was prepared following procedure A with: 2-(4-((4-(tert-butyl)phenyl)ethynyl)phenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolane 4 (270 mg, 0.75 mmol, 2.3 eq.), anti-diphenylglyoxime 3 (243 mg, 1.0 mmol, 3 eq.), and iron(II) chloride (FeCl2, 42 mg 0.33 mmol, 1 eq.) in 5 mL of degassed methanol. Brick-red solid (382 mg, 94%). 1H-NMR (600 MHz, CDCl3, ppm): δ 7.77 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 4H, ArH), 7.51 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 4H, ArH), 7.46 (m, 14H, ArH), 7.37 (d, J = 8.3 Hz, 6H, ArH), 7.32-7.28 (m, 18H, ArH), 1.35 (brs, 18H, CH3); 13C-NMR (150 MHz, CDCl3, ppm): δ 155.89 (C=N), 151.76, 134.65, 131.81, 131.47, 131.02, 130.81, 130.27, 129.84, 127.74, 126.31, 125.44, 120.21, 90.98, 89.00, 34.88, 31.25; FTIR (KBr, cm−1): 2973 (Aliphatic C-H str), 2203 (CΞC str), 1450 (Aliphatic C-H ben) 1396 (B-O str), 1144 (B-C str), 868 (Ar-C-H ben).
2.1.4. Synthesis of CBM
A Schlenk tube was charged under argon with 2-((4-(tert-butyl)phenyl)ethynyl) benzaldehyde 5 (27 mg, 0.10 mmol, 2.1 eq.), CM2 (48 mg, 0.05 mmol, 1 eq.), copper(II) triflate Cu(OTf)2 (3.6 mg, 0.01 mmol, 0.2 eq.), and trifluoroacetic acid TFA (15 μL, 0.2 mmol) in 4 mL of deoxygenated dichloroethane. The solution was heated at 100 °C overnight and the solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure. The resulting mixture was dissolved in DCM and extracted with a saturated solution of NaHCO3 (50 mL × 2). The combined organic layer was washed with deionized water (100 mL × 3), concentrated, and the desired product was isolated using silica gel column chromatography with DCM/hexane (50:50 v/v) as the eluent. Brick-red solid (55 mg, 95%). 1H-NMR (600 MHz, CDCl3, ppm): δ 7.81-7.78 (brm, 4H, ArH), 7.57 (t, J = 7.9 Hz, 2H, ArH), 7.48 (d, J = 7.9 Hz, 2H, ArH) 7.43-7.39 (m, 8H, ArH), 7.32-7.26 (m, 4H, ArH), 7.20-7.11 (m, 8H, ArH), 2.84 (brs, 12H, CH2), 1.73 (brs, 12H, CH2), 1.25 (brs, 18H, CH3); 13C-NMR (150 MHz, CDCl3, ppm): δ 152.48, 150.17, 139.47, 133.19, 132.25, 131.83, 131.74, 130.93, 130.25, 130.10, 129.51, 128.19, 126.64, 126.00, 125.74, 125.58, 125.40, 125.05, 34.39, 31.68, 26.79, 22.17. ESI-MS; Calcd. for M•+ C70H70B2FeN6O6: 1168.48; found 1168.48 FTIR (KBr, cm−1): 2947 (Aliphatic C-H str), 1435 (Aliphatic C-H ben), 1391 (B-O str), 1194 (B-C str), 833 (Ar-C-H ben).
2.1.5. Synthesis of copolymer CBP1 (Procedure B)
2,5-bis(phenylethynyl) terephthalaldehyde 6 (73 mg, 0.22 mmol, 1 eq.), CM1 (250 mg, 0.22 mmol, 1 eq.), Cu(OTf)2 (32 mg, 0.09 mmol, 0.4 eq.), and TFA (136 μL, 1.76 mmol) were refluxed in 35 mL of deoxygenated dichloroethane in a Schlenk tube under argon. After 2 days of reaction, the precipitate was filtered and washed exhaustively with a sequence of the following solvents 50 mL of DCM, 50 mL of THF, 50 mL of acetone, 50 mL of water, and 50 mL of diethyl ether affording a brown solid (235 mg, 83%). FTIR (KBr, cm−1): 2955 (Aliphatic C-H str), 1461 (Aliphatic C-H ben), 1396 (B-O str), 1180 (B-C str), 820 (Ar-C-H ben). UV-vis: (THF, 10−6 M), λmax [nm] = 313, 452, fluorescence: (THF, 10−6 M), λmax [nm] = 440.
2.1.6. Synthesis of CBP2
CBP2 was prepared following procedure B with: 2,5-bis(phenylethynyl) terephthalaldehyde 6 (63 mg, 0.19 mmol, 1 eq.), CM2 (183 mg, 0.19 mmol, 1 eq.), Cu(OTf)2 (27 mg, 0.08 mmol, 0.4 eq.), and TFA (117 μL, 1.52 mmol) in 30 mL of degassed dichloroethane. Brown solid (200 mg, 95%); FTIR (KBr, cm−1): 2948 (Aliphatic C-H str), 1450 (Aliphatic C-H ben), 1392 (B-O str), 1190 (B-C str), 830 (Ar-C-H ben). UV-vis: (THF, 10−6 M), λmax [nm] = 312, 450, fluorescence: (THF, 10−6 M), λmax [nm] = 440
2.1.7. Synthesis of CBP3
CBP3 was prepared following procedure B with: 2,5-bis(phenylethynyl) terephthalaldehyde 6 (60 mg, 0.18 mmol, 1 eq.), CM3 (226 mg, 0.18 mmol, 1 eq.), Cu(OTf)2 (26 mg, 0.07 mmol, 0.4 eq.), and TFA (110 μL, 1.44 mmol) in 30 mL of degassed dichloroethane. Brown solid (228 mg, 90%); FTIR (KBr, cm−1): 2965 (Aliphatic C-H str), 1449 (Aliphatic C-H ben), 1370 (B-O str), 1200 (B-C str), 890 (Ar-C-H ben); UV-vis: (THF, 10−6 M), λmax [nm] = 297, 481, fluorescence: (THF, 10−6 M), λmax [nm] = 451.