Visible-Light-Assisted Photocatalytic Reduction of Nitroaromatics by Recyclable Ni(II)-Porphyrin Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) at RT

A microporous Ni(II)-porphyrin metal-organic framework (MOF), [Ni-3(Ni-HTCPP)(2)(mu(2)-H2O)(2)(H2O)(4)(DMF)(2)]center dot 2DMF, (MOF1) (where, Ni-HTCPP = 5,10,15,20-tetralcis(4-benzoate) porphyrinato-Ni(II)) has been synthesized by the solvothermal route. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of 1 reveals a 2D network structure constituted by Ni-3 cluster and [Ni-HTCP](3-) metalloligand having (3, 6)-connected binodal net with {4(3)}2{4(6).6(6).8(3)}-kgd net topology. The 2D layers are further stacked together through pi-pi interactions between the porphyrin linkers to generate a 3D supramolecular framework which houses 1D channels with dimension of similar to 5.0 X 9.0 angstrom(2) running along the crystallographic a-axis. Visible-light-assisted photocatalytic investigation of MOF1 for heterogeneous reduction of various nitroaromatics at room temperature resulted in the corresponding amines with high yield and selectivity. On the contrary, the Ni(II)-centered porphyrin tetracarboxylic acid [Ni-H4TCPP] metalloligand does not show the photocatalytic activity under similar conditions. The remarkably high catalytic performance of MOF1 over [Ni-H4TCPP] metalloligand has been attributed due to cooperative catalysis involving the Ni-centered porphyrin secendary building units (SBUs) and the Ni-3-oxo node. Further, the MOF1 was recycled and reused up to three cycles without any significant loss of catalytic activity as well as structural rigidity. To the best of our knowledge, MOF1 represents the first example of MOF based on 3d metal ion exhibiting visible-light-assisted reduction of nitroaromatics under mild conditions without the assistance of noble metal cocatalysts.