In this comprehensive review, we delve into the principles, revolutionary methods, and techniques employed in the structural design and determination of COFs, to decipher the underlying logic governing their captivating properties.

Non-mercuric catalysts in acetylene hydrochlorination reaction have been gained much attention. Cu-based catalysts are low-cost, green and stable. However, their lower activity than that of mercury-based catalysts limits their practical applications. In this study, we report activated carbon-supported perovskite-like CsCuCl₃ nanoparticles as a catalyst for hydrochlorination of acetylene. Cu–Cs/AC with 1 wt% Cu content exhibits superior activity than pure Cu/AC and even Hg/AC. At the condition of 200 °C and 50 h⁻¹ industrial space velocity, C₂H₂ conversion is maintained at 92% over 200 h. Our findings suggest that the low-cost Cu–Cs/AC catalyst can be envisioned as a viable alternative to commercial toxic HgCl₂ for acetylene hydrochlorination.

Vinyl chloride, the monomer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), is industrially synthesized via acetylene hydrochlorination. Thereby, easy to sublimate but toxic mercury chloride catalysts are widely used. It is imperative to find environmentally friendly non-mercury catalysts to promote the green production of PVC. Low-cost copper-based catalysts are promising candidates. In this study, phosphorus-doped Cu-based catalysts are prepared. It is shown that the type of phosphorus configuration and the distribution on the surface of the carrier can be adjusted by changing the calcination temperature. Among the different phosphorus species, the formed P-C bond plays a key role. The coordination structure formed by the interaction between P-C bonds and atomically dispersed Cu²⁺species results in effective and stable active sites. Insights on how P-C bonds activate the substrate may provide ideas for the design and optimization of phosphorus-doped catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination.