Tunning catalytic centers in heterogeneous catalyst, both in a chemical and a spatial manner, is a powerful approach to improve the stability and the efficiency of catalysts. While the chemical aspects are largely understood, the spatial interactions around active sites, comprised of noncovalent interactions, are difficult to maintain and challenging to study. Herein, we utilized the unique properties of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) to establish an ideal reaction environment for the hydrolysis of cellobiose and other common disaccharides in mild, metal-free, neutral aqueous conditions. The chosen COF, HCl-PSA-IM-COF-OMe, was modified to be ultra-stable in aqueous conditions and possessed sulfonic acid groups for general acid catalysis and intraporous chloride anions for enhanced hydrogen bonding with reactants and oxocarbenium intermediate stabilization. In addition, the system also relies on the differences in adsorptive binding behavior, K<sub>ads</sub>, of the reactants and the products to the functionalized framework and benefits from a separate physical, kinetic process to boost the catalytic cycle. Due to its stability in aqueous conditions, HCl-PSA-IM-COF-OMe can be recycled and maintain its hydrolytic properties for five cycles before regeneration was needed.

Intraporous chloride ions for improved adsorption and stabilization of oxocarbenium during hydrolysis of cellobiose

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