A Fully Conjugated Imidazole-based Covalent Organic Framework for Efficient Dynamic Capture of Radioactive Iodine

doi:10.1007/s40242-026-6097-x

Abstract

Abstract: The safe and sustainable development of nuclear energy depends in part on the effective capture of volatile radioactive iodine released from reprocessing off-gas, yet existing adsorbents suffer from poor kinetics, low utilization efficiency, or inadequate stability under harsh conditions. Here, we report a rationally designed imidazole-based covalent organic framework (BI-TAPB-COF) that enables efficient iodine capture through synergistic charge-transfer interactions. The fully conjugated backbone endows the material with exceptional chemical and thermal stability, while the ordered pore channels and embedded electron-rich imidazole groups serve as Lewis basic sites to facilitate strong host-guest interactions with iodine molecules. As a result, BI-TAPB-COF achieves a high dynamic adsorption capacity of 0.402 g/g under demanding conditions (75 ℃, 20 mL/min), outperforming commercial silver zeolite and silica gel. Mechanistic investigations reveal the formation of polyiodide anions (I₃^- and I₅^-) via charge-transfer interactions.

Key words: Covalent organic framework, Iodine, Sorption, Breakthrough experiment

ZHANG Wenqi, MA Zhonglin, TANG Songbai, HE Linwei, CHEN Long, WANG Shuao. A Fully Conjugated Imidazole-based Covalent Organic Framework for Efficient Dynamic Capture of Radioactive Iodine[J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2026, 42(5): 1585-1590.

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