Triphenylamine-Based Conjugated Porous Polymer for Mercury Sensing and Adsorption

We report a simple and scalable route for synthesizing conjugated porous organic polymer TPA-TCA through one-step Schiff base condensation carried out under ambient conditions. The polymer framework, enriched with sulfur and nitrogen containing functional groups, exhibits dual functionality for both sensing and removal of Hg 2+ ions. TPA-TCA achieves an excellent mercury removal efficiency of 99.98% with a maximum adsorption capacity of 289 mg g –1 . In parallel, fluorescence measurements reveal rapid and sensitive detection with a limit as low as 7.2 nM. Adsorption studies are well described by the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics, consistent with the monolayer chemisorption mechanism. Notably, the polymer retains its performance over five regeneration cycles with minimal loss of activity. These combined features highlight TPA-TCA as a robust and practical candidate for mercury monitoring and wastewater treatment applications.