Synthesis of “all-in-one” hypercrosslinked organic polymers: experimental and kinetic models for CO2 chemical fixation and iodine adsorption†

A series of “all-in-one” hypercrosslinked polymers (HCP_OH-C_n) have been synthesized by Friedel–Crafts alkylation of phenols tethered with adjustable alkyl chains and the quaternization reaction of N,N-dimethylethylenediamine in one-pot in the presence of dibromomethylbenzene as the crosslinking and ammonium agent. After characterization, the polymers were implemented for sustainable CO₂ conversion and iodine adsorption. The experimental results showed that HCP_OH-C₁₂ can effectively catalyze the CO₂ cycloaddition reaction, and an excellent yield of 94% was confirmed after optimizing the conditions. The outstanding activity is attributed to the lower activation energy (69.52 kJ mol⁻¹). The polymer of HCP_OH-C₁₂ exhibits excellent substrate adaptability and recyclability, and a possible catalytic mechanism has been proposed. Furthermore, HCP_OH-C₀ has showcased an impressive adsorption capacity for iodine, with the process aligning well with second-order adsorption kinetics and conforming to Langmuir adsorption isotherms. Iodine adsorption on HCP_OH-C₀ is characterized as a spontaneous and endothermic process, indicative of an increase in the disorder at the solid–liquid interface during the adsorption phase.