Amino-functionalized zirconium and cerium MOFs: Catalysts for visible light induced aerobic oxidation of benzylic alcohols and microwaves assisted N-Alkylation of amines

Abstract

Herein we report that mixed zirconium-cerium-MOFs with amino-functionalized linkers (2-amino-1,4-benzenedicarboxylate, BDC-NH, and 4-aminonaphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylate, NDC-NH) act as effective non-noble-metal-based heterogeneous catalysts, for both the aerobic photooxidation of benzylic alcohols and for the direct microwaves activation N-alkylation of amines with alcohols. The catalytic performance has been studied considering two different approaches: the effect of NH functionalized linkers and the effect of hosting Ce species on Zr-MOFs. Zr- and ZrCe-MOFs resulted efficient visible-light-driven photocatalysts with high stability and considerable recyclability in the photocatalytic selective oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes using molecular oxygen as oxidant. These materials are also effective catalysts for the microwaves-assisted N-alkylation of amines with alcohols yielding selectively the imine (ZrCe-MOF) or the corresponding secondary amine (Ce-MOFs).