Moisture control is important for human health and comfort and also for manufacturing processes in various industries. However, depending on the target application, the required temperature and humidity levels vary greatly. An effective desiccant should capture moisture over a wide temperature range and release water at low temperatures for reuse.

Yearin Byun, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea, and Ali Coskun, KAIST and University of Fribourg, Switzerland, have developed a class of porous organic polymers with high epoxy content (ep-POPs). The polymers were synthesized using a one-pot, catalyst-free Diels–Alder cycloaddition polymerization. ep-POPs can attract water vapor from the surrounding air with high uptake capacities (39.2–42.4 wt%) over a wide temperature range of 5–45 °C.

Detailed spectroscopic analyses show that the high surface area and the high water affinity of epoxy linkages are responsible for the good performance of ep-POPs. Additionally, these materials are energy-efficient desiccants that can be recycled at temperatures as low as 55 °C. According to the researchers, ep-POPs are promising materials for moisture control and can be used in various climate conditions and manufacturing applications.

• Epoxy-functionalized Porous Organic Polymers via the Diels-Alder Cycloaddition Reaction for Atmospheric Water Capture,
  Yearin Byun, Ali Coskun,
  Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018.
  https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201800380