New Function of Metal-Organic Framework: Structurally Ordered Metal Promoter

The remarkable roles of metal promoters have been known for nearly a century, but it is still a challenge to find a suitable structure model to reveal the action mechanism behind metal promoters. Herein, a new function of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is developed as an ideal model to construct structurally ordered metal promoters by a targeted post-modification strategy. MOFs as model not only favor clearing the real action mechanism behind metal promoters, but also can anchor one or multiple kinds of metal promoters especially noble metal promoters. Typically, the as-prepared Pd/bpy-UiO-Cu catalysts show high selectivity (>99%) toward 4-nitrophenylethane in 4-nitrostyrene hydrogenation, mainly due to the enhanced interaction between Pd nanoparticles and MOF carriers induced by Cu promoters, thus inhibiting the hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenylethane. This strategy with flexibility and universality will open up a new route to synthesize efficient catalysts with structurally ordered metal promoters.

Automated summary

The article introduces a new function of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as an ideal model to construct structurally ordered metal promoters. The strategy of using MOFs as a model not only helps to reveal the action mechanism behind metal promoters, but also allows the anchoring of one or multiple kinds of metal promoters, especially noble metal promoters. It is demonstrated that the prepared Pd/bpy-UiO-Cu catalysts show high selectivity (>99%) in a hydrogenation reaction, thanks to the enhanced interaction between Pd nanoparticles and MOF carriers induced by Cu promoters.