A Woven Supramolecular Metal-Organic Framework Comprising a Ruthenium Bis(terpyridine) Complex and Cucurbit[8]uril: Enhanced Catalytic Activity toward Alcohol Oxidation

The self-assembly of a diamondoid woven supramolecular metal-organic frameworkwSMOF-1has been achieved from intertwined [Ru(tpy)(2)](2+)(tpy=2,2 ',6 ',2 ''-terpyridine) complexM1and cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) in water, where the intermolecular dimers formed by the appended aromatic arms ofM1are encapsulated in CB[8].wSMOF-1exhibits ordered pore periodicity in both water and the solid state, as confirmed by a combination of(1)H NMR spectroscopy, UV-vis absorption, isothermal titration calorimetry, dynamic light scattering, small angle X-ray scattering and selected area electron diffraction experiments. The woven framework has a pore aperture of 2.1 nm, which allows for the free access of both secondary and primary alcohols andtert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP). Compared with the control molecule [Ru(tpy)(2)]Cl-2, the [Ru(tpy)(2)](2+)unit ofwSMOF-1exhibits a remarkably higher heterogeneous catalysis activity for the oxidation of alcohols by TBHP inn-hexane. For the oxidation of 1-phenylethan-1-ol, the yield of acetophenone was increased from 10 % to 95 %.