Synthesis and Properties of Phenolic Resin Polymers Based on Pillar[5]arene

Two new phenolic resin porous organic polymers PRP-1, PRP-2 were obtained by one-step polymerization of phenolic resin reaction using functionalized pillar[n]arene and 1,4-bis(4-formylphenyl)benzene as polymerization monomers. The pore characters of PRP-1 and PRP- 2 were evaluated by solid-state nuclear magnetic carbon spectroscopy (C-13 CP/MAS NMR), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray powder diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen and carbon dioxide adsorption and desorption, and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The results showed that mutilid-hydroxyl groups on the aromatic macrocycles of pillar[5]arene significantly affect the polymer structure, and the specific surface area of PRP-2 with a higher number of hydroxyl groups is more than 10 times higher than that of PRP-1. Polymers PRP-1 and PRP-2 can be used for non-homogeneous catalytic carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion, and PRP-2 exhibits higher conversion. This work shows that the functionalized pillar[n]arene has a potential application in organic porous polymers.