The synthesis and fluorescence detection properties of benzoquinone-based conjugated microporous/mesoporous polymers

Abstract The benzoquinone-based conjugated microporous/mesoporous polymers were synthesized through Sonogashira–Hagihara cross-coupling with tetrabromo-1,4-benzoquinone (TBrBQ) and 1,4-diethynylbenzene (DEB) by both solution polymerization (DBQP) and miniemulsion polymerization (DBQN). The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface areas of these polymers were 356 and 25 m 2  g −1 and pore average diameter were concentrated at around 2.12 and 3.84 nm for DBQP and DBQN, respectively. The two dimensional π-conjugated polymer frameworks could be combined with permanent microporous/mesoporous, luminescent properties and abundant oxygen atoms in the skeleton. Fluorescence studies found that both DBQP and DPQN could be utilized as fluorescent chemosensors for picronitric acid (PA) in acetone suspension.