• • COFs achieve high iodine adsorption capacities in aqueous media, with specific surface areas exceeding 2000 m2/g and pore volumes up to 1.5 cm3/g, enabling rapid uptake kinetics and capacities above 500 mg/g for I2 and I3− species.
• • Pore size engineering is critical: COFs with pore apertures in the range of 1.5–3.0 nm exhibit optimal iodine capture due to size matching with iodine species, while functionalization with nitrogen-rich groups (e.g., pyridine, imidazole) enhances adsorption via charge transfer and electrostatic interactions, improving selectivity by up to 80% in mixed anion solutions.
• • Ionic COFs containing cationic pyridinium or imidazolium groups demonstrate enhanced electrostatic attraction for anionic iodine species (I−, IO3−), achieving removal efficiencies above 95% within 30 minutes at initial iodine concentrations of 100 ppm, as reported in recent studies.
• • Stability under aqueous conditions is a key advantage: COFs retain over 90% of their adsorption capacity after five regeneration cycles, with structural integrity maintained in pH ranges of 3–11, making them superior to conventional adsorbents like activated carbon and metal oxides.