Issue 22, 2016

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) bring new life to hydrogen-bonding organocatalysts in confined spaces

Abstract

Hydrogen-bonding organocatalysis has emerged as a promising biomimetic alternative to Lewis acid catalysis. Urea, thiourea and squaramide moieties represent the most common hydrogen-bond donors used for the preparation of these catalysts. However, their significant tendency to undergo self-quenching (self-aggregation) often decreases their solubility and reactivity. Recently, scientists have found a promising way around this problem by immobilizing the hydrogen-bonding organocatalysts on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). Along with advantageous modular synthesis and recycling properties, the tunable porosity and topology of MOFs also allows fast mass transport and/or interactions with substrates. Herein, we highlight the existing examples dealing with the fabrication and testing of hydrogen-bonding organocatalyst-containing MOFs, providing also our vision for further advances in this area. The results derived from these studies will likely serve as inspiration for the future development of superior hydrogen-bonding organocatalysts to accomplish in confined spaces chemical transformations that are either slow or unaffordable under standard homogeneous conditions.

Graphical abstract: Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) bring new life to hydrogen-bonding organocatalysts in confined spaces

Article information

Article type
Highlight
Submitted
23 Dec 2015
Accepted
18 Jan 2016
First published
18 Jan 2016
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

CrystEngComm, 2016,18, 3985-3995

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) bring new life to hydrogen-bonding organocatalysts in confined spaces

J. V. Alegre-Requena, E. Marqués-López, R. P. Herrera and D. D. Díaz, CrystEngComm, 2016, 18, 3985 DOI: 10.1039/C5CE02526E

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