Porous graphene frameworks pillared by organic linkers with tunable surface area and gas storage properties

We report the design and synthesis of two porous graphene frameworks (PGFs) prepared via covalent functionalization of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) with iodobenzene followed by a C–C coupling reaction. In contrast to RGO, these 3D frameworks show high surface area (BET, 825 m2 g−1) and pore volumes due to the effect of pillaring. Interestingly, both the frameworks show high CO2 uptake (112 wt% for PGF-1 and 60 wt% for PGF-2 at 195 K up to 1 atm). PGFs show nearly 1.2 wt% H2 storage capacity at 77 K and 1 atm, increasing to ∼1.9 wt% at high pressure. These all carbon-based porous solids based on pillared graphene frameworks suggest the possibility of designing related several such novel materials with attractive properties.