Development of a highly porous Fe-based MOF using symmetrically incompatible building blocks: Selective oxidation of benzyl alcohols

Abstract Novel emerging cluster-based metal−organic frameworks (MOFs) MOFs proved to be a promising alternative material as heterogeneous catalysts. Herein, we described the synthesize, characterization and exceptional catalytic activity of a novel Fe trimer (Fe3O) based MOF (Fe-MOF). The Fe-MOF was synthesized through applying symmetrically incompatible building blocks as a novel concept for fabricating MOFs. This structure shows high water stability and high porosity containing functionalized 1D hexagonal channel. The network also has novel 4-nodal 3,3,3,6-connected topology. Fe-MOF promote the benzyl alcohol oxidation with excellent selectivity toward benzaldehyde, as well as much better yield compared to neat Fe3O cluster (91.9 % yield in 3 h). The results indicate that Fe-MOF plays a key role as a support in this catalytic process by enhancing the catalytic activity up to three times and almost 100% selectivity within one of the fastest reaction times. The catalysis performance is found to be closely dependent on the high surface area and suitable aperture size of 1D channel in Fe-MOF structure which provides the better bed for oxidation transformation.