Ultrathin two-dimensional porphyrinic metal-organic framework nanosheets induced by the axial aryl substituent

Ultrathin two-dimensional metal-organic framework nanosheets have emerged as a promising kind of heterogeneous catalysts. Herein, we report a new kind of 2D porphyrinic metal-organic framework nanosheets of Rh2-PCN-222, which was prepared from the self-assembly of the metalloporphyrin ligand Rh(TCPP)(DCB) (TCPP = 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-methoxycarbonylphenyl)porphyrin; DCB = 3,4-dichlorobenzene) and ZrCl4 in the presence of two kinds of monocarboxylic acids as the modulating reagent. The thickness of Rh2-PCN-222 nanosheets was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and determined to be 5.4-9.6 nm. It was found that the axial aryl dichlorophenyl substituent, which controlled the anisotropic growth of MOFs, was essential for the formation of nanosheets. Catalytic results showed that Rh2-PCN-222 nanosheets were efficient for CO2 transformation.