Microporous polymeric materials

Microporous materials are solids that contain interconnected pores of molecular dimensions (i.e. <2 nm). Such materials possess large surface areas, typically 300-1500 m2 g-1, and are of great technological importance for adsorption and heterogeneous catalysis1. There are two main classes of microporous materials widely used in industry: crystalline zeolites (aluminosilicates) and activated carbons. In the past decade, there has been an intense effort to optimize the porosity of these materials for various applications2,3. However, it is recognized that the design of entirely new microporous materials would open up exciting opportunities for fundamental research and industrial applications3.