Facile synthesis of MIL-100(Fe) under HF-free conditions and its application in the acetalization of aldehydes with diols

Mesoporous iron(III) carboxylate [MIL-100(Fe)] has been successfully synthesized by a simple unappreciated low-temperature (<100 °C) route via the reaction of ferric nitrate and trimesic acid (H3BTC) under HF-free conditions. The synthesized MIL-100(Fe) was systematically characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption, XPS, TGA, FT-IR, and SEM and used as a catalyst in the liquid-phase acetalization of various aldehydes with diols. In comparison with other methods commonly used for the preparation of MIL-100(Fe), the current synthesis strategy has merits such as mild and environmentally benign synthesis conditions. Additionally, the synthesized MIL-100(Fe) shows some excellent catalytic properties in the acetalization of aldehydes with diols, due to the Lewis acidity of the available unsaturated metal sites, accompanied with abundant mesoporous cages in the framework of MIL-100(Fe), superior to commercial resin and zeolite catalysts.