Polyoxoniobates as a superior Lewis base efficiently catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation

Photoswitchable Metal-Organic Framework as a Smart Nanoreactor for Ultraviolet Light-Enhanced Confined Catalysis

Confined catalysis, where a chemical reaction is accommodated within a nanoscale host, provides an effective approach to control the pathways and outcomes of catalytic transformations. However, the confinement effect is typically limited to a fixed rate and/or selectivity once the nanohost is chosen. Herein, we developed a photoresponsive metal-organic framework (MOF) as a "smart" nanohost to realize ultraviolet (UV) light-enhanced confined catalysis of Knoevenagel condensation. Photoresponsive MOF of Zn-ADA was thus prepared by solvothermal strategy where azobenzene-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid (ADA) was used as the photoactive linker to coordinate with zinc nitrate. Characterization results suggested that UV light could decrease the pore size of Zn-ADA due to suppressed bending of the azobenzene-containing ADA linker in Zn-ADA. It enforced the proximity between substrates and catalytic groups within the confined space, and thus enhanced the confinement effect on Knoevenagel condensation. The UV light-enhanced confined catalysis enabled the translation of light stimulus into chemical signal, which may open up new control on the basis of the specific reaction field.

Restricted Growth of Vinylene-Linked Covalent Organic Frameworks along Two-Dimensional Plane Using Heterogeneous Catalysis

The vinylene-linked covalent organic frameworks (viCOFs) have been generally synthesized in the presence of homogeneous catalysts such as KOH or trifluoroacetic acid. However, highly ordered viCOFs cannot always be obtained due to the uncommitted growth of viCOF layers in the homogeneous system with ubiquitous catalysts. Here, we propose a scalable protocol to restrict the growth of viCOFs along the two-dimensional (2D) plane by introducing a heterogeneous catalyst, polyoxometalates (POMs). With the unique Brønsted alkalinity and catalytic surface, POMs induce the growth of 2D viCOF layers along the surface of the catalytic substrate and restrain the generation of out-of-plane branches. Based on this protocol, six typical 2D viCOFs with high crystallinity and porosity were synthesized within a shorter reaction time as compared with the reported works using the common homogeneous catalysts for viCOF synthesis. On the basis of the density functional theory calculations and experimental results, a bottom intercalation growth pattern of viCOFs was revealed during the heterogeneous reaction. The unique growth pattern greatly promotes the orderly assembly of monomers, thus shortening the reaction time and improving the crystallinity of viCOFs. Furthermore, this heterogeneous catalysis strategy is suitable for the gram-scale preparation of 2D viCOFs. These results provide a novel avenue for the synthesis of high-quality viCOFs and may bring new insights into the synthetic methodology of COFs.

NB. Highly efficient CdS/CeO2/Ag3PO4 nanocomposite as novel heterogenous catalyst for Knoevenagel condensation and acetylation reactions

In light of environmental and economic concerns, the use of heterogeneous catalysts that can function under gentler reaction conditions has recently become popular. In this study by using the precipitation method, CdS/CeO2/Ag3PO4 ternary nanocomposites with varied molar proportions of CdS:CeO2/Ag3PO4 were produced. The catalysts' surface functional groups; morphology and crystal structures were examined using FTIR, SEM-EDX and XRD respectively. The catalytic efficiency of all synthesized nanomaterials was tested on a model Knoevenagel condensation reaction. For the best catalyst, selected from the screening, the optimization of reaction conditions such as the solvent, catalyst load, concentration of reagents such as malononitrile/acetic anhydride, and temperature. The ternary nanocomposite CdS/CeO2/Ag3PO4 (4:1) displayed higher catalytic activity (95.4 ± 3.2 %) than the rest of the nanomaterials prepared. Thus, the ternary nanocomposite CdS/CeO2/Ag3PO4 with 4:1 mol ratio with optimized reaction conditions was used to check the substrate scope of Knoevenagel condensation and acetylation reaction. The synthesized Knoevenagel condensation and acetylation reaction products were also characterized by proton and carbon NMR for their structure determination. The nanocomposite's reusability was carried out and only 7.5 ± 2 % decrement was witnessed after four runs and 23.3 % after the fifth run. and this indicates the potential application of the catalyst to organic reactions. Furthermore, we have proposed the possible catalytic mechanisms for both organic reactions.

Water-Tolerant Superbase Polyoxometalate [H2(Nb6O19)]6- for Homogeneous Catalysis

Here, doubly protonated Lindqvist-type niobium oxide cluster [H2(Nb6O19)]6-, fabricated by microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis, exhibited superbase catalysis for Knoevenagel and crossed aldol condensation reactions accompanied by activating C-H bond with pKa >26 and proton abstraction from a base indicator with pKa=26.5. Surprisingly, [H2(Nb6O19)]6- exhibited water-tolerant superbase properties for Knoevenagel and crossed aldol condensation reactions in the presence of water, although it is well known that the strong basicity of metal oxides and organic superbase is typically lost by the adsorption of water. Density functional theory calculation revealed that the basic surface oxygens that share the corner of NbO6 units in [H2(Nb6O19)]8- maintained the negative charges even after proton adsorption. This proton capacity and the presence of un-protonated basic sites led to the water tolerance of the superbase catalysis.

Cadmium-containing windmill-like heteropolyoxoniobate macrocycle with high yield for catalyzing Knoevenagel condensation

A rare cadmium-containing windmill-like heteropolyoxoniobate macrocycle has been successfully synthesized with stable 1-D cyclic cluster aggregates. The compound exhibited promising basic catalytic ability for Knoevenagel condensation with a high yield under mild reaction conditions and high cycling stability. The theoretical calculation showed that the promising basic catalytic ability is due to the dense and stronger basic sites of the surface terminal O atoms.

Polyphosphazene-Functionalized Microspheres as Efficient Catalysts for the Knoevenagel Reaction under Mild Conditions

Inspired by the formation of microspheres by hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene and 4, 4'-sulfonyldiphenol, polyphosphazene-functionalized microspheres were developed. Benefits from the supported supper basic phosphazene, the yield exceeded 99 % at room temperature in the manner of second-order reaction kinetics toward Knoevenagel reaction and was still maintained at 99 % after 16 runs. In the experimental temperature from 0 °C to 90 °C, the yield increased from 92 % to 99 %, reflecting that the catalyst had strong applicability under mild conditions. This behavior was conducive to energy conservation. Meanwhile, simple separation and recovery further enhanced this advantage. In addition, the catalyst was also found to be insensitive to aqueous solution or organic solvents such as toluene, THF, EtOH and CH₃ CN. This property gave the Knoevenagel reaction a vast choice. All these features exhibit that this novel catalyst is an attractive and applicable alternative in organic synthesis.

Binary Type-II Heterojunction K7HNb6O19/g-C3N4: An Effective Photocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution without a Co-Catalyst

The binary type-II heterojunction photocatalyst containing g-C₃N₄ and polyoxoniobate (PONb, K₇HNb₆O₁₉) with excellent H₂ production activity was synthesized by decorating via a facile hydrothermal method for the first time. The as-fabricated Nb–CN-0.4 composite displayed a maximum hydrogen evolution rate of 359.89 µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ without a co-catalyst under the irradiation of a 300 W Xenon Lamp, which is the highest among those of the binary PONb-based photocatalytic materials reported. The photophysical and photochemistry analyses indicated that the hydrogen evolution performance could be attributed to the formation of a type-II heterojunction, which could not only accelerate the transfer of photoinduced interfacial charges, but also effectively inhibit the recombination of electrons and holes. This work could provide a useful reference to develop an inexpensive and efficient photocatalytic system based on PONb towards H₂ production.

Nanocage-based {In2Tm2}-organic framework for efficiently catalyzing the cycloaddition reaction of CO2 with epoxides and Knoevenagel condensation

The combination of [In2Tm2(μ2-OH)2(CO2)10(H2O)2] clusters and H5BDCP ligand generated a highly robust nanoporous MOF with high catalytic performance in the cycloaddition reaction of epoxides with CO2 and Knoevenagel condensation.

In situ ball-milling gram-scale preparation of polyoxoniobate-intercalated MgAl-layered double hydroxides for selective aldol and Michael addition cascade reactions

A facile one-step ball-milling strategy to prepare gram-scale Mg3Al-LDH-Nb6 has been demonstrated and the thus-obtained catalyst exhibited efficient selective catalytic activities in the synthesis of biologically active organic molecules in water.

Basicity of Isostructural Porous Ionic Crystals Composed of Nb/Ta-Substituted Keggin-Type Polyoxotungstates

Three isostructural porous ionic crystals (PICs) based on Keggin-type POMs with different compositions but equal negative charge ([BW12O40]5– (BW12), [SiW11NbO40]5– (SiW11Nb), and [SiW11TaO40]5– (SiW11Ta)) are synthesized. Experimental and theoretical characterizations...

Crystal structure and electrochemistry properties of one two-dimensional heteropolyoxoniobate based on four- and five-vanadium-capped Keggin anions

One two-dimensional heteropolyoxoniobate compound H9[Cu(H4dap)2(H2O)]8{K[Cu(H3dap)2]4}2[VNb12O40(VO)4]3[VNb12O40(VO)4(VO)]·48H2O (1) (H4dap = 1,2-diaminopropane) was obtained by a hydrothermal method.

Specific lift-up behaviour of acetate-intercalated layered yttrium hydroxide interlayer in water: application for heterogeneous Brønsted base catalysts toward Knoevenagel reactions

The basal (00l) plane of acetate-intercalated layered yttrium hydroxide (CH3COO−/Y-LRH), synthesised by an anion exchange using Cl−/Y-LRH as a parent material, increased in water, and the lifted-up layered structure was generated immediately.

Incorporating highly basic polyoxometalate anions comprising Nb or Ta into nanoscale reaction fields of porous ionic crystals

Polyoxometalates (POMs) are oxide cluster anions composed of high-valence early transition metals and are widely used as catalysts. Yet base catalysis of POMs remains an ongoing challenge; group V (V, Nb, and Ta) elements form more negatively charged POMs than group VI (Mo and W) elements, and in particular, polyoxoniobates and polyoxotantalates are known to show strong basicity in solution due to the highly negative surface oxygen atoms. Herein, we report for the first time porous ionic crystals (PICs) comprising Nb or Ta. The PICs are composed of Dawson-type Nb/W or Ta/W mixed-addenda POMs with oxo-centered trinuclear Cr^III carboxylates and potassium ions as counter cations to control the crystal structure. Among the PICs, those with Nb or Ta tri-substituted POMs exhibit the highest yield (78-82%) and selectivity (99%) towards the Knoevenagel condensation of benzaldehyde and ethyl cyanoacetate (353 K, 6 h), which is a typical base-catalyzed reaction, as reusable solid catalysts, and they can also catalyze the reaction of other active methylene compounds. A detailed investigation into the crystal structures together with DFT calculations and in situ IR spectroscopy with methanol as a basic probe molecule shows that the exposure of [Nb₃O₁₃] or [Ta₃O₁₃] units with highly negative surface oxygen atoms to the pore surface of PICs is crucial to the catalytic performance. These findings based on the composition-structure-function relationships show that Nb- and Ta-containing PICs can serve as platforms for rational designing of heterogeneous base catalysts.

Triazole-directed fabrication of polyoxovanadate-based metal-organic frameworks as efficient multifunctional heterogeneous catalysts for the Knoevenagel condensation and oxidation of alcohols

By introducing 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole (4-NH2-trz), three new polyoxovanadate-based metal-organic frameworks (PMOFs) [Ni3(4-NH2-trz)6][V6O18]·3H2O (1), [Co3(4-NH2-trz)6][V6O18]·3H2O (2) and [Cu3OH(4-NH2-trz)3H2O][VO3]5·H2O (3) have been synthesized and thoroughly characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SXRD), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric (TG) analysis and elemental analysis (EA). Among them, PMOFs 1 and 2 had similar structures containing [V6O18]6- clusters; however, PMOF 3 was isolated as a structure containing a [VO3]55- cluster when the amount of the 4-NH2-trz ligand was reduced to half with the other synthesis conditions being the same as those of PMOFs 1 and 2 except for the transition-metal chlorides. Furthermore, the negative charges of polyoxovanadate [V6O18]6- and [VO3]55- anions were balanced by trinuclear complex cations [Ni3(4-NH2-trz)6]6- for 1, [Co3(4-NH2-trz)6]6- for 2 and [Cu3OH(4-NH2-trz)3H2O]5- for 3, respectively. PMOFs 1-3 were further used as heterogeneous catalysts in the Knoevenagel condensation under solvent-free conditions and showed high catalytic activity. PMOF 1 showed moderate catalytic activities in the oxidation of various aromatic alcohols using H2O2 as an oxidant. Moreover, PMOF 1 could be reused at least three times without losing its activity.

Base Catalysis of Sodium Salts of [Ta6−xNbxO19]8− Mixed-Oxide Clusters

The solid base catalysis of sodium salts of Lindqvist-type metal oxide clusters was investigated using a Knoevenagel condensation reaction. We successfully synthesized the sodium salts of Ta and Nb mixed-oxide clusters Na8−nHn[(Ta6−xNbx)O19]·15H2O (Na-Ta6−xNbx, n = 0, 1, x = 0–6) and found them to exhibit activity for proton abstraction from nitrile substrates with a pKa value of 23.8, which is comparable to that of the conventional solid base MgO. The Ta-rich Na-Ta6 and Na-Ta4Nb2 exhibited high activity among Ta and Nb mixed-oxide clusters. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD) measurements, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) revealed the structure of Na-Ta6−xNbx: (1) The crystal structure changed from Na7H[M6O19]·15H2O to Na8[M6O19]·15H2O (M = Ta or Nb) by the anisotropic expansion of the unit cell with an increase in Ta content; (2) Highly symmetrical Lindqvist [Ta6−xNbxO19]8− was generated in Na-Ta4Nb2 and Na-Ta6 because of the symmetrical association of Na+ ions with [Ta6−xNbxO19]8− in the structure. DFT calculation revealed that the Lindqvist structures with high symmetry have large NBO charges on surface oxygen species, which are strongly related to base catalytic activity, whereas the composition hardly affects the NBO charges. The above results showed that the Brønsted base catalysis was sensitive to the symmetry of the Lindqvist [Ta6−xNbxO19]8− structure. These findings contribute to the design of solid base catalysts composed of anionic metal oxide clusters with alkaline-metal cations.

Catalytic C-H Bond Activation and Knoevenagel Condensation Using Pyridine-2,3-Dicarboxylate-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks

Three 1D coordination polymers (CPs) [M(pdca)(H2O)2] n (M = Zn, Cd, and Co; 1-3), and a 3D coordination framework {[(CH3)2NH2][CuK(2,3-pdca)(pa)(NO3)2]} n (4) (2,3-pdca = pyridine-2,3-dicarboxylate and pa = picolinic acid), have been synthesized adopting a solvothermal reaction strategy. The CPs have been thoroughly characterized using various spectral techniques, that is, elemental analyses, FT-IR, TGA, DSC, UV/vis, and luminescence. Structural information on 1-4 was obtained by PXRD and X-ray single-crystal analyses, whereas morphological insights were attained through FESEM, AFM, EDX, HRTEM, and BET surface area analyses. Roughness parameters were calculated from AFM analysis, whereas dimensions of small domains and interplanar spacing were defined with the aid of HRTEM. CPs 1-3 are 1D isostructural networks, whereas 4 is a 3D framework. Moreover, 1-4 display moderate luminescence at rt. In addition, 1-4 have been applied as economic and efficient porous catalysts for the Knoevenagel condensation reaction and C-H bond activation under mild conditions with good yields (95-98 and 97-99%), respectively. Notably, 1-3 can be reused up to seven cycles, whereas 4 can be reused up to five catalytic cycles with retained catalytic efficiency. Relative catalytic efficacy toward the Knoevenagel condensation reaction follows in the order 2 > 1 > 3 > 4, whereas 2 > 4 > 1 > 3 for C-H activation. The present result demonstrates synthetic, structural, optical, morphological, and catalytic aspects of 1-4.

A Copper-Containing Polyoxometalate-Based Metal-Organic Framework as an Efficient Catalyst for Selective Catalytic Oxidation of Alkylbenzenes

A copper-containing polyoxometalate-based metal-organic framework (POMOF), Cu^I₁₂Cl₂(trz)₈[HPW₁₂O₄₀] (HENU-7, HENU = Henan University; trz = 1,2,4-triazole), has been successfully synthesized and well-characterized. In addition, the excellent catalytic ability of HENU-7 has been proved by the selective oxidation of diphenylmethane. Under the optimal conditions, the diphenylmethane conversion obtained over HENU-7 is 96%, while the selectivity to benzophenone is 99%, which outperforms most noble-metal-free POM-based catalysts. Moreover, HENU-7 is stable to reuse for five runs without an obvious loss in activity and also can catalyze the oxidation of different benzylic C-H with satisfactory conversions and selectivities, which implied the significant catalytic activity and recyclability.

Biochar-Based Graphitic Carbon Nitride Adorned with Ionic Liquid Containing Acidic Polymer: A Versatile, Non-Metallic Catalyst for Acid Catalyzed Reaction

A novel biochar-based graphitic carbon nitride was prepared through calcination of Zinnia grandiflora petals and urea. To provide acidic and ionic-liquid functionalities on the prepared carbon, the resultant biochar-based graphitic carbon nitride was vinyl functionalized and polymerized with 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid, acrylic acid and the as-prepared 1-vinyl-3-butylimidazolium chloride. The final catalytic system that benefits from both acidic (-COOH and -SO3H) and ionic-liquid functionalities was applied as a versatile, metal-free catalyst for promoting some model acid catalyzed reactions such as Knoevenagel condensation and Biginelli reaction in aqueous media under a very mild reaction condition. The results confirmed high activity of the catalyst. Broad substrate scope and recyclability and stability of the catalyst were other merits of the developed protocols. Comparative experiments also indicated that both acidic and ionic-liquid functionalities on the catalyst participated in the catalysis.

Imidazole-induced self-assembly of polyoxovanadate cluster organic framework for efficient Knoevenagel condensation under mild conditions

Three new polyoxovanadates have been made, one of them displays highly efficient heterogeneous solvent-free catalytic activity and excellent recyclability in the Knoevenagel condensation at room temperature.

An organic chromophore -modified samarium-containing polyoxometalate: excitation-dependent color tunable behavior from the organic chromophores to the lanthanide ion

An organic–inorganic hybrid Ln-POM display reversible color-tunable photoluminescence properties based on excitation from 260 nm to 350 nm, emitting color from blue to pink.

Well-tuned white-light-emitting behaviours in multicenter-Ln polyoxometalate derivatives: A photoluminescence property and energy transfer pathway study

White light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) are of scientific significance in terms of their wide applications, and few uminescent materials based on white-light-emitting polyoxometalate (POM) derivatives have been reported till now. Herein, a series of organic chromophores modified POM derivatives [N(CH₃)₄]₃K₂Ln(C₇H₅O₂)(H₂O)₂(α-PW₁₁O₃₉)]·11H₂O (Ln³⁺ = Eu³⁺ (1), Tb³⁺ (2), Tm³⁺ (3), Lu³⁺ (4)) and multicenter-Ln analogues [N(CH₃)₄]₃K₂Eu_xTb_yTm_1-x-y(C₇H₅O₂)(H₂O)₂(α-PW₁₁O₃₉)·11H₂O (5-11) were synthesized successfully and were characterized by various physico-chemical analysis. The investigations indicate the white-light-emitting behavior can be well tuned by adjusting the molar ratio of Eu³⁺/Tb³⁺/Tm³⁺ = 0.06:0.10:0.84 in 9. The energy transfer process from organic benzoic and POM ligands to Eu³⁺, Tb³⁺ and Tm³⁺ emitting centers were detected through time-resolved emission spectroscopy (TRES) and the comparison of excitation of single-, double-, treble-Ln³⁺ mixed, indicating the energy can transfer from the photoexcitation O → M LMCT state of POM components and π → π* transition of organic ligand to sensitize the emissions of Ln³⁺ ions via intramolecular energy transition mechanism. The energy transfer between Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺, Tm³⁺ and Eu³⁺, Tm³⁺ and Tb³⁺ ions also have been recorded and carefully studied by TRES and variations of Tm³⁺ luminescence lifetime in this context, and the results show a low-effectively process of energy transfer between Tm³⁺/Eu³⁺, Tm³⁺/Tb³⁺ ions and a relatively good energy transfer efficiency between Eu³⁺/Tb³⁺ ions.

A novel peroxopolyoxoniobate incorporating mixed heteroatoms: [P2Se2Nb6(O2)6O22]8-

A novel hetero selenato-phosphato-peroxopolyoxoniobate with the formula Cs₄H₄[P₂Se₂Nb₆(O₂)₆O₂₂]·10H₂O has been successfully isolated in an acidified aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution. The synthesized cluster represents the first example of a selenium-containing polyoxoniobate. Furthermore, the ESI-MS spectra show that the polyoxoanion structural unit [P₂Se₂Nb₆(O₂)₆O₂₂]^8- remains intact in aqueous solution.

Polyoxometalate-Based Catalysts for CO2 Conversion

Polyoxometalates (POMs) are a diverse class of anionic metal-oxo clusters with intriguing chemical and physical properties. Owing to unrivaled versatility and structural variation, POMs have been extensively utilized for catalysis for a plethora of reactions. In this focused review, the applications of POMs as promising catalysts or co-catalysts for CO₂ conversion, including CO₂ photo/electro reduction and CO₂ as a carbonyl source for the carbonylation process are summarized. A brief perspective on the potentiality in this field is proposed.

Synthesis, characterization, and photoluminescence properties of three two-dimensional lanthanide-containing Dawson-type polyoxometalates

Three isostructural lanthanide-containing polyoxometalates with 2D network architectures were successfully obtained under hydrothermal conditions.

Toward Exploiting the Behavior of Niobium-Containing Mesoporous Silicates vs. Polyoxometalates in Catalysis

Classification of polyoxometalates (POMs) is based on their chemical composition, basically represented by two general formulae: a) [MmOy]p- b) [XxMmOy]q-, where M is the main transition metal, O is the oxygen atom and X can be a non-metal atom such as Si. Additionally, in the most cases, the structure of the polyoxometalates is derived from a combination of octahedral units MO6 with a central metal atom M and the oxygen atoms placed at their corners. In such octahedra, oxygen atoms allow the condensation between two octahedral units, while one oxygen atom (or max. two atoms) makes double bond with the central metal atom and is not shared with other metal atoms within the complex (terminal oxygens). On the other hand, niobium-containing mesoporous silicates contain mainly MO4 tetrahedra and reveal superior activity in heterogeneous catalysis. Thus, the proper coordination of niobium is crucial for the catalytic activity and will be deeply discussed. The similarity in the catalytic behavior of niobium-polyoxometalates and heterogeneous niobium single-site catalysts in selective oxidations will be demonstrated.