Porphyrin network polymers prepared via a click reaction and facilitated oxygen permeation through their membranes

Network polymers of cobaltporphyrin derivatives are prepared by a facile click reaction via the Michael addition of acetoacetate-substituted tetraphenyl cobaltporphyrin and tri- or tetra-acrylates. The conversion is saturated for 1 h in the presence of a catalyst, which almost reaches the same gelation point of the formed network polymers. Deeply and homogeneously red-colored membranes with a sub-micrometer thickness are yielded on a porous supporting membrane. They are still tough even with a very high content of the rigid porphyrin residue. The oxygen permeability is high, at 10-100 Barrer, and the oxygen/nitrogen permselectivity (P_O2/P_N2) is significantly enhanced with the porphyrin content reaching 30, for the membranes with ca. 70 wt% porphyrin content.