Hydrophobic boron organic polymers: Ultra-high capacity of enrichment and storage for chloroform

Chloroform, a superstar widely applied as solvent, extractant, refrigerating fluid and adhesive, faces storage risks and environmental pressures. Herein, a brand-new strategy for storing and enriching chloroform is designed. It is shown that stable boron organic polymers BOPs-S3 with excellent hydrophobicity can be facilely prepared by combining Na₂[B₁₂H₁₂] and amphiphilic HBPB-14 molecules. The unique molecular structure of such as prepared polymers endows strong affinity with chloroform. BOPs-S3 possesses an ultra-high adsorption capacity of 46.9 g·g⁻¹ toward liquid chloroform, with a resulting gel that maintains a low volatilization rate. In addition, a stainless mesh coating with BOPs-S3 is shown to excellently remove chloroform vapor, likewise BOPs-S3 is shown efficient for removal of chloroform traces in water, with a residual amount lower than the allowable concentration in drinking water defined by the World Health Organization. This work provides a novel approach to store chloroform in transportation or other unstable conditions with unprecedented ramifications.