Chemically Gradient Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework Crystal Film

Abstract

Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) are ordered supramolecular solid structures, however, nothing much explored as centimetre-scale self-standing films. The fabrication of such crystals comprising self-supported films is challenging due to the limited flexibility and interaction of the crystals, and therefore studies on two-dimensional macrostructures of HOFs are limited to external supports. Herein, we introduce a novel chemical gradient strategy to fabricate a crystal-deposited HOF film on an in situ-formed covalent organic polymer film (Tam-Bdca-CGHOF). The fabricated film showed versatility in chemical bonding along its thickness from covalent to hydrogen-bonded network. The kinetic-controlled Tam-Bdca-CGHOF showed enhanced proton conductivity (8.3×10−5 S cm−1) compared to its rapid kinetic analogue, Tam-Bdca-COP (2.1×10−5 S cm−1), which signifies the advantage of bonding-engineering in the same system.