Linking Nitrogen-Rich Pillar[5]arene to Hyper-Cross-Linked Polymers for Efficient and Simultaneous Capture of Iodine and Methyl Iodide

The simultaneous capture of radioactive molecular iodine (I 2 ) and methyl iodide (CH 3 I) coexisting in the exhaust stream of nuclear power plants has become an urgent and challenging task. However, there are a few adsorbents that can be used to achieve this goal. Herein, three nitrogen-rich pillar[5]arene-based hyper-cross-linked polymers are presented. Among these polymers, P[5]A-TPTA12, which was constructed with deca(diethylaminoethoxy)pillar[5]arene and 2, 4, 6-tris(4-(bromomethyl)phenyl)-1, 3, 5-triazine, exhibited excellent uptake capacities for iodine gas (4.83 g g –1 ) and methyl iodine (1.08 g g –1 ) under static sorption conditions. A great deal of effective and diverse desorption sites, including nucleophilic N sites, aromatic rings, and oxygen atoms, were responsible for the excellent adsorption capacity. The work presented not only an important method for the removal of radioactive contaminants but also a remarkable employment of macrocycle-based materials in environmental remediation.