The press conference for the world’s first ton-level mass production of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) was held at the lecture hall of Tiankai Higher Education Innovation Park. It was jointly hosted by YOCOF New Materials (Tianjin) Co., Ltd., Tianjin Tiankai Development Group Co., Ltd., Nankai University 21st Century Industrial Institute Co., Ltd., and Nankai University Science and Technology Park Co., Ltd.

Chen Yulu, President of Nankai University; Chen Jun, Vice President and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Fang Yongchun, Vice President, were present. Nearly 500 guests, including persons responsible from the Administrative Committee of Tiankai Higher Education Innovation Park, Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area and Nankai District, well-known academicians and experts in the academic community, representatives of industrial chain enterprises, student representatives, and representatives of Tiankai Group and Nankai University Science and Technology Park, attended the conference. The conference was presided over by Zhang Xueying, Chairman of Tianjin Tiankai Development Group Co., Ltd. 

Zhang Zhenjie, executive director and chief scientist of YOCOF New Materials (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. and a professor at the College of Chemistry of Nankai University, introduced the company’s development advantages, product positioning and prospects from the perspective of COFs industrialization. He said that COFs, also known as “organic zeolites” and “resins with average pores”, are materials for cutting-edge hot research, and have many properties such as uniform pore size, adjustable pore size, customizable functions, and abundant active sites. The current mainstream method can only produce milligram-level products. YOCOF has solved a host of scientific and engineering problems in mass production by continuously optimizing the process parameters, and is the first to achieve mass production, with related world-leading technologies. 

In the speech, Chen Yulu pointed out that since 2023, Nankai University has been deeply involved in the construction of Tiankai Higher Education Innovation Park in response to the needs of Tianjin’s economic and social development. As one of the first enterprises to settle in the park, YOCOF New Materials Co., Ltd. is an outstanding representative, making new progress in the development of strategic emerging industries such as new materials, and also providing important support for the advance of new quality productive forces. Chen Yulu said that Nankai University will continue to provide strong support for the construction of Tiankai Higher Education Innovation Park and the development of enterprises in the park in the long run. 

Xu Yiming, chairman of Suzhou PPM Technology Co., Ltd., said that YOCOF has strong technical prowess and innovation capabilities, with broad development prospects. Going forward, it will step up investment and cooperation to jointly promote the establishment of a modern industrial system and the advance of new quality productive forces.

Press conference ceremony for the world’s first ton-level mass production of COFs was held. 

On the same day, YOCOF signed an industrial cooperation contract with Bohai Chemical Industry Group, and signed a contract with 4 companies from Shanghai, Suzhou and other cities for COFs purchase. 

Display booths were also set up at the conference venue. The participants held in-depth exchanges and learned about the innovations and irreplaceability of COFs in related fields products at firsthand.

After the ceremony, Chen Jun and Bu Xianhe, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor at the School of Materials Science and Engineering of Nankai University, delivered speeches respectively. Wang Wei, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry of Lanzhou University, gave a keynote speech on topics related to COFs. 

It is reported that YOCOF New Materials (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. is the first company in the world to specialize in the industrialization of COFs. Based on the melting green synthesis method pioneered by Professor Zhang Zhenjie, the company has built the world’s first tonnage production demonstration line for COFs. A number of series of COFs developed by the company have been applied in major areas such as drug isolation and purification, hydrometallurgy, gas storage and separation, and nuclear waste treatment.

（Edited and translated by Nankai News Team.)