A Porous Carbazolic Al-MOF for Efficient Aerobic Photo-Oxidation of Sulfides into Sulfoxides under Air

A robust, microporous, and photoactive aluminum-based metal-organic framework (Al-MOF, LCU-600) has been assembled by an in situ-formed [Al₃O(CO₂)₆] trinuclear building unit and a tritopic carbazole ligand. LCU-600 shows a high water stability and permanent porosity for N₂ and CO₂ adsorption. Notably, the incorporation of photoresponsive carbazole moieties into LCU-600 makes it a highly efficient and recyclable photocatalyst for aerobic photo-oxidation of sulfides into sulfoxides under an air atmosphere at room temperature. Mechanism investigations unveil that photogenerated holes (h⁺), superoxide radical anion (O₂^•-), and singlet oxygen (¹O₂) are critical active spices for the photo-oxidation reaction performed in an air atmosphere.