Benzophenone[3]arene-Based Polymeric Materials for Efficient Iodine Capture

The design and preparation of functional materials based on macrocyclic arenes, porous organic polymers, and metal–organic frameworks represent a promising avenue for developing the next generation of high-performance adsorbents. In this context, postmodification and functionalization of existing macrocyclic arenes have become a core strategy to drive their development. In this work, we successfully integrated a benzophenone[3]arene framework into a polymer network, designing and synthesizing the amorphous, nonporous material BPD. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experiments jointly confirm that, thanks to the synergistic effect of multiple adsorption sites, this material exhibits high adsorption performance for iodine vapor and iodine in aqueous solutions (vapor adsorption capacity >2.4 g/g, nearly complete removal from 1 mM aqueous solution within 1 h) and excellent recyclability. This work provides a strategy for the fabrication of high-performance iodine adsorption materials and the functionalization of macrocyclic arenes.