Fe(III) substituted Wells–Dawson type polyoxometalate: An efficient catalyst for ring opening of epoxides with aromatic amines

Porous Coordination Polymer MOF-808 as an Effective Catalyst to Enhance Sustainable Chemical Processes

The improvement of sustainable chemical processes plays a pivotal role in safe environmental and societal development, for example, by reducing the use of hazardous substances, preventing chemical waste, and improving the efficiency of chemical reactions to obtain added-value compounds. In this context, the porous coordination polymer MOF-808 (MOF, metal-organic framework) was prepared by a straightforward method in water, at room temperature, and was unequivocally characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, vibrational spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. MOF-808 material was applied for the first time as catalysts in ring-opening aminolysis reactions of epoxides. It demonstrated high activity and selectivity for reactions of styrene oxide and cyclohexene oxide with aniline, using a very low amount of an eco-sustainable solvent (0.5 mL of EtOH), at 70 °C. Moreover, MOF-808 demonstrated high stability in the catalytic reaction conditions applied, and a notable reuse capacity of up to 20 consecutive reaction cycles, without significant variation in its catalytic performance. In fact, this Zr-based porous coordination polymer prepared by environment-friendly conditions proved to be a novel efficient heterogeneous catalyst, promoting the ring-opening reaction of epoxides under more sustainable conditions, and using a very low amount of catalyst.

Balula S, Cunha-Silva L. Improved catalytic performance of porous metal–organic frameworks for the ring opening of styrene oxide

An emerging strategy to improve the performance of porous metal–organic framework (MOF) materials as heterogeneous catalysts is reported.

A new chiral Fe(iii)–salen grafted mesoporous catalyst for enantioselective asymmetric ring opening of racemic epoxides at room temperature under solvent-free conditions

A new heterogeneous chiral Fe(iii)–salen grafted mesoporous catalyst has been synthesized for the enantioselective (ee > 99%) ARO reaction of racemic epoxides with aromatic amine under solvent-free conditions.