The greater structural versatility of two-dimensional polymeric nanosheets could be available through the development of a bottom-up polymerization strategy compared with top-down nanosheets (such as graphene and metal chalcogenides). However, rational synthesis by solution polymerization has been a long-standing challenge. Considering that Glaser coupling is catalyzed by cuprous (I) salts with the participation of oxygen, an air/liquid interfacial coupling reaction has been designed and used to prepare a two-dimensional porous triptycene-based polymeric nanosheet (2D-PTNS). This 2D-PTNS shows a high BET surface area, good gas adsorption ability and excellent selective adsorption of C2H6/CH4 at ambient temperature and pressure.

A novel nanofibrous membrane for oil/water separation is reported. Electrospinning was employed to fabricate the nanofibrous membrane from a porous polymer of fluorine-containing triptycene-based polyimide (FTPI), which was synthesized and characterized by NMR, FT-IR and TGA. With porous properties and highly hydrophobic features, the membrane of FTPI showed a large water contact angle (WCA) (121°), high flux and great separation efficiency for oil/water mixtures. We believe that the fluorine-contained nanofibrous membranes may be considered as promising candidates for oil/water separation.

We synthesized a series of mesoporous silica microparticles (MSs) using cationic gemini surfactants C14–2-n (n = 2, 6, 10, 14) as templates. The porous structures and pore size of these MSs can be tuned by varying the length of alkyl chain in gemini surfactant templates. These MSs showed effective doxorubicin (DOX) loading and a pH-responsive drug release characteristics. These results indicate that the MSs, especially the hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles, have great potential for biomedical applications.

A bicyclooxacalixarene cage with triangular prism structure was synthesized by a one-pot SNAr reaction. The structure of the oxacalixarene cage 1 was characterized by NMR, MS spectra, and X-ray crystal structure analyses. In the solid state, the molecular cage was assembled into an interlaced porous network structure. Gas adsorption studies indicated that cage 1 exhibited high CO2/N2 selectivity of 106.

A new kind of nitrogen-rich triptycene-based porous polymer (NTP) with high surface area of up to 1067 m2 g–1 was synthesized by a modified Yamamoto-type Ullmann cross-coupling reaction. Having structure features of expanded conjugated area and nitrogen atoms doping in polymer networks, the NTP displays extraordinary gas storage ability and excellent iodine adsorption capability.

•Hexaphenylbenzene based triptycenes were used as monomer to synthesize HTPs.•Two low-cost Friedel–Crafts and Scholl reactions were used to synthesize HTPs.•HTP-B displays high CO2 uptake capacity of 10.3 wt %.An expanded triptycene (hexaphenylbenzene based triptycene) monomer was synthesized from triiodotriptycene. Using this monomer, two kinds of organic microporous polymers HTPs (HTP-A and HTP-B) were prepared by Friedel–Crafts and Scholl reactions. Their structure and properties were characterized by FT-IR, solid 13C NMR, powder XRD, SEM, TEM and gas absorption. Nitrogen sorption analysis displayed that the BET surface areas are 569 and 914 m2 g−1 for HTP-A and HTP-B, respectively. For HTP-B, they can reversibly absorb 1.09 wt % H2 (1.0 bar and 77 K) and 10.3 wt% CO2 (1.0 bar and 273 K), respectively.

Luminescent materials with tunable optical properties are of great importance for their potential application in the fields of optical-recording systems, sensors, security materials, informational displays, and molecular machines. To date, tuning double-color luminescence is easy to realize in many stimuli-responsive organic materials, while multicolor luminescence is very scarce. Herein, three new TPE-BODIPY conjugates, composed of a tetraphenylethylene (TPE) core bearing BODIPY units, were synthesized. The TPE-BODIPY 1 conjugate bearing two neighboring BODIPY units could emit strong fluorescence up to 100% quantum yield and multicolor light from green, to yellow, to red (GYR) both in solutions and in poly(methyl methacrylate) films with aggregation of it. Moreover, the GYR multicolor emissions in solution could interconvert by adding and removing THF. The crystal structure of the compound disclosed that two BODIPY units were completely perpendicular to the phenyl ring of the TPE core but parallel with each other. This extraordinary conformation resulted in intra/intermolecular slipped π–π stackings and even the synergism of these two slipped π–π stackings, giving the compound multicolor fluorescence. In contrast, two other TPE-BODIPYs, 2 and 3, had no intramolecular π–π stacking and only displayed green and yellow emission.

Temperature-sensitive organic nanoparticles with AIE effect were assembled in water from tetraphenylethene-based poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (TPE-PNIPAM), which was synthesized by ATRP using TPE derivative as initiator. The size and fluorescence of TPE-PNIPAM nanoparticles can be tuned by varying the temperature. These nanoparticles can be internalized readily by HeLa cells and can be used as long-term tracer in live cells to be retained for as long as seven passages.Keywords: aggregation-induced emission (AIE); fluorescent organic nanoparticles; long-term cellular tracing; poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM); tetraphenylethene (TPE)

TPE-based oxacalixarenes were synthesized by one-pot condensation. Their AIE properties and self-assembled structures in the solid state can be tuned effectively by utilization different building blocks in the synthetic process. Moreover, the oxacalixarene 1a can be assembled into nanoparticles in THF/water and can be used as a detector for nitroaromatic explosives, such as TNP.

Cost-effective adsorbents for water treatment is easy available through one-pot Friedel–Crafts reaction of triptycene. With hierarchical porous structure, high surface area, high thermal stability, and excellent adsorption capacities for organic solvents and dyes, the triptycene-based hyper-cross-linked polymer sponge (THPS) may be ideal adsorbents for a wide range of large-scale applications in water purification and treatment.

3D nanographene 1, with three HBC units arraying in the 3D triptycene scaffold, displayed strong intrinsic fluorescence properties and could be used as a detector for nitroaromatic explosives such as TNP with quenching efficiency Ksv of 1.8 × 104 M−1 and sensitivity of 2.4 ng/mm2, respectively.3D nanographene 1, with three HBC units arraying in the 3D triptycene scaffold, displayed strong intrinsic fluorescence properties and could be used as a detector for nitroaromatic explosives such as TNP with quenching efficiency Ksv of 1.8 × 104 M−1 and sensitivity of 2.4 ng/mm2, respectively.

A series of Hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene-based triptycenes bearing mono-, di-, or tri-HBC moieties were synthesized from iodotriptycenes. Their structures were determined by NMR, MS spectra, and X-ray analysis. The planar HBC moieties displayed strong deshielding effect to triptycene scaffold, resulting in significant downfield chemical shift of the two methenyl protons. Moreover, the HBC units are well separated in the triptycene scaffold, without quenching the fluorescent properties of each HBC unit.

•Triptycene-based porous polyimides (STPIs) were synthesized by condensation polymerizations.•SPTI-2 displayed BET surface area of 541 m2/g with high thermal stability of 550 °C.•SPTI-2 with high CO2 uptake capacity of 14.6 wt% and high selectivity of CO2/N2 of 107.A series of triptycene-based porous polyimides (STPIs) were synthesized by condensation polymerizations. The structure and properties of these STPIs were characterized by IR, solid 13C NMR, powder XRD, SEM, TEM and gas absorption. As STPI-2 with the high thermal stability, they display excellent adsorption ability to CO2 uptake capacity of 14.6 wt% (273 K), and exhibit the high selectivity of CO2/N2 of 107.

A novel TPE-based expanded oxacalixarene with typical aggregation-induced emission properties was synthesized by the SNAr reaction of dihydroxytetraphenylethylene with 2,6-dichloropyrazine. The conformation of the oxacalixarene is adjusted by the encapsulated guests (benzene or THF), which results in different supramolecular grid structures in the solid state.

A novel organic microporous polymer (HTP) has been synthesized from a hexaphenylbenzene based triptycene monomer by Ni(0)-catalyzed Ullmann cross-coupling reaction, which displays a BET surface area of 1151 m2 g−1 and reversibly 12.5 wt% CO2 at 1.0 bar/273 K.

A gemini surfactant was used as a kinetic self-assembly template to synthesize hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs). In this method, only one surfactant, one silica source of TEOS and one solvent (water) were used. This easy and general method might be applicable for the production of HMSNs with controllable pore size for versatile applications in catalysis and drug delivery.

A series of star triptycene-based porous polymers (STPs) were synthesized from the palladium-catalyzed C–C coupling polymerization of 2, 6, 14-triiodotriptycene. The porous properties of these STPs including surface area, pore size and gas adsorption can be tuned by varying the strut length from ethynylene to phenylene to phenyleneethynylene. As STP-5, they display the BET surface area of 601 m2 g−1, and exhibit excellent adsorption ability to hydrogen (1.0 wt% at 1.0 bar/77 K) and carbon dioxide (9.4 wt% at 1.0 bar/273 K).

Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) with the diameter in range of 100–500 nm and the wall thickness of about 50 nm were synthesized by templates of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide under the assistant of microfluidization technique. These HMSNs were demonstrated effective drug loading and a pH-responsive drug release.

A novel kind of three-dimensional (3D) nanographene based on a triptycene structure bearing three hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (HBC) moieties was synthesized efficiently from triiodotriptycene. With the characteristic of intrinsic fluorescence, the 3D nanographene was used as a fluorescent agent for in vitro and in vivo fluorescence imaging with good antiphotobleaching ability and little toxicity.

A novel kind of star triptycene-based microporous polymer (STPs) was synthesized efficiently from trihalotriptycenes by nickel(0)-catalyzed Ullmann cross-coupling reactions. STPs display a BET surface area of 1305 m2 g–1 and 1990 m2 g–1, and reversibly adsorb 1.60 and 1.93 wt % H2 at 1.0 bar/77 K, 16.15 and 18.20 wt % CO2 at 1.0 bar/273 K for STP-I and STP-II, respectively.