Abstract: Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a class of crystalline porous polymers that allow the atomically precise integration of organic units to create predesigned skeletons and nano-pores. Since the seminal work of Yaghi on covalent organic frameworks, this subject has attracted extensive interest not only from chemists’ science and organic synthesis, but also from various researchers in the fields of gas storage, heterogeneous catalysis, semi-conduction and photoconduction. This review describes the building blocks of COFs and synthetic methods. The applications are also studied and evaluated. Concerning COFs for future research, some suggestions are proposed and conclusions are given.

Key words: covalent organic frameworks; building blocks; building mode; synthesis; application