A novel class of porous 2D hydrocarbons: N-carbophenes

N-carbophenes (carbophenes) are a novel class of porous 2D hydrocarbons consisting of alternating units of (N) cyclohexatriene and (N-1) cyclobutene.¹ Carbophenes can be viewed as the 2D generalization of linear phenylenes, with structures similar to graphenylene.²

Using tight-binding density functional theory, we’ve found the ground state configurations and electronic structures of carbophenes. The energies per carbon atom needed to produce carbophenes are similar to that of graphenylene, suggesting that organic chemistry synthesis methods could produce either.² Carbophenes have interlayer configurations that are markedly different from graphenylene, suggesting that porosimetry experiments might distinguish between multilayers of the two materials. Carbophenes have band gaps that range from 1 to 2 eV. We will discuss preliminary results, which show that functionalized carbophenes may work as materials to capture atmospheric carbon (CO₂ and CH₄).

Bibliography
1. Junkermeier, C. E., Luben, J. P. & Paupitz, R. N-Carbophenes: Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks derived from linear N-phenylenes. Mater. Res. Express 6, 115103 (2019).
2. Du, Q.-S. et al. A new type of two-dimensional carbon crystal prepared from 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene. Sci. Rep. 7, 40796 (2017).