MOF-supported selective ethylene dimerization single-site catalysts through one-pot postsynthetic modification

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Organic Chemistry

Background:

• Molecular nickel complexes are effective catalysts for ethylene dimerization.
• Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer tunable porous structures for catalyst immobilization.
• Achieving high selectivity in ethylene dimerization is crucial for producing valuable chemicals like 1-butene.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly active and selective catalyst for ethylene dimerization.
• To anchor a molecular nickel complex within a mesoporous metal-organic framework (MOF) via one-pot postfunctionalization.
• To evaluate the catalytic performance and reusability of the resulting Ni@(Fe)MIL-101 catalyst.

Main Methods:

• One-pot postfunctionalization synthesis of Ni@(Fe)MIL-101.
• Characterization of the synthesized catalyst using standard techniques.
• Testing the catalyst's activity and selectivity for ethylene dimerization in liquid phase.

Main Results:

• Successful anchoring of a molecular nickel complex into the Fe-based MIL-101 MOF (Ni@(Fe)MIL-101).
• The Ni@(Fe)MIL-101 catalyst demonstrated high activity and reusability in ethylene dimerization.
• Achieved significantly higher selectivity for 1-butene compared to previously reported molecular nickel diimino complexes.

Conclusions:

• The developed Ni@(Fe)MIL-101 catalyst is a highly efficient and selective system for producing 1-butene from ethylene.
• Immobilizing nickel complexes within MOFs is a promising strategy for creating robust and reusable heterogeneous catalysts.
• This approach offers an advancement over homogeneous nickel catalysts for selective olefin dimerization.