Selective carbon dioxide sorption and heterogeneous catalysis by a new 3D Zn-MOF with nitrogen-rich 1D channels

Abstract

We prepared a new C 2h-symmetric bridging ligand, 3,3′-(pyrazine-2,5-diyl)dibenzoic acid (3,3′-PDBA), through a Suzuki coupling reaction. 3,3′-PDBA contains a central pyrazine ring instead of the phenyl ring of 3,3′-terphenyldicarboxylic acid (3,3′-TPDC). Despite the geometrical similarity of the two bridging ligands, the reaction between Zn(NO3)2·6H2O and 3,3′-PDBA in the presence of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) yielded a structurally different Zn-based metal-organic framework (Zn-MOF). The Zn-MOF, [Zn2(3,3′-PDBA)2(DABCO)1.5]·2DMF·H2O, had two-dimensional (2D) layers, and the interlocked 2D layers formed a porous 3D framework. Interestingly, one of the two available N atoms of DABCO remained intact. The uncoordinated N atoms of the dangling DABCO ligand and the pyrazinyl N atoms of the 3,3′-PDBA bridging ligand were fully exposed toward the 1D channels. Therefore, the 1D channels represented a highly nitrogen-rich environment. Gas sorption analysis indicated that the Zn-MOF was selective for adsorption of CO2 at 196 K over N2 (77 K) and H2 (77 K). The exceptionally high zero surface coverage heat of CO2 adsorption (Q st = 79.5 kJ mol-1) was attributable to the openly accessible multiple Lewis basic sites in the nitrogen-rich 1D channels. Zn-MOF also showed good Lewis base catalytic activities in three model aldol-type reactions with good recyclability due to chemically accessible 3° amine sites. © 2017 The Author(s).