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

Abstract

A copper-containing polyoxometalate-based metal-organic framework (POMOF), Cu^I₁₂Cl₂(trz)₈[HPW₁₂O₄₀] (<b>HENU-7</b>, HENU = Henan University; trz = 1,2,4-triazole), has been successfully synthesized and well-characterized. In addition, the excellent catalytic ability of <b>HENU-7</b> has been proved by the selective oxidation of diphenylmethane. Under the optimal conditions, the diphenylmethane conversion obtained over <b>HENU-7</b> is 96%, while the selectivity to benzophenone is 99%, which outperforms most noble-metal-free POM-based catalysts. Moreover, <b>HENU-7</b> 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.