Tetraphenylethene-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs): Design, Synthesis and Applications

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) as a new class of crystalline porous materials are assembled by appropriate building blocks through covalent bonds. COFs have been utilized in many fields such as storage and separation of gases, catalysis, proton conduction, energy storage, optoelectronics, sensing and biomedicine due to their regular channels, high thermal stability, high crystallinity and adjustable structure. In recent years, tetraphenylethylene-based covalent organic frameworks (TPE-based COFs) have attracted much attention due to their obvious aggregation induced luminescence effect, simple synthesis and easy functionalization. In this paper, the construction units, topological structures, synthesis strategies and application progress of TPE-based COFs in different fields are briefly reviewed. Finally, the development prospects and possible challenges of TPE-based COFs are pointed out.