Shaping covalent organic frameworks (COFs) into macroscopic objects for practical application remains a huge challenge. Herein, a new thiadiazole-derived COF macroscopic ultralight aerogel (NNS-VCOF) was prepared through acid-catalyzed aldol condensation between 2,5-dimethyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole and a tritopic aromatic aldehyde derivative. NNS-VCOF aerogel shows extremely low density (ca. 0.020 g cm-3), excellent mechanical properties (compression modulus of 16.65 kPa), thermal insulation properties (low thermal conductivity of 0.03270 W m-1 K-1 at 25 °C), and flame retardancy (quickly self-extinguishing after ignition) due to its three-dimensional sponge-like architecture and special nitrogen heterocyclic framework. To our delight, NNS-VCOF aerogel not only can be used as an outstanding macroscopic material but also shows efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution properties in a powder state because of the superhydrophilicity and appropriate optical properties.
Keywords: aerogel; covalent organic framework; flame retardancy; photocatalytic hydrogen evolution; thermal insulation; thiadiazole-derived.