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Updated: Mar 22, 2026

Author Spotlight: Functionalizing Metal-Organic Frameworks: Advancements, Challenges, and the Power of Post-Synthetic Ligand Exchange
Published on: June 23, 2023
Sophisticated Design of Covalent Organic Frameworks with Controllable Bimetallic Docking for a Cascade Reaction
Wenguang Leng1, Yongsheng Peng1, Jianqiang Zhang1
1Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, P.R. China.
Abstract:
Precise control of the number and position of the catalytic metal ions in heterogeneous catalysts remains a big challenge. Here we synthesized a series of two-dimensional (2D) covalent organic frameworks (COFs) containing two different types of nitrogen ligands, namely imine and bipyridine, with controllable contents. For the first time, the selective coordination of the two nitrogen ligands of the 2D COFs to two different metal complexes, chloro(1,5-cyclooctadiene)rhodium(I) (Rh(COD)Cl) and palladium(II) acetate (Pd(OAc)2 ), has been realized using a programmed synthetic procedure. The bimetallically docked COFs showed excellent catalytic activity in a one-pot addition-oxidation cascade reaction. The high surface area, controllable metal-loading content, and predesigned active sites make them ideal candidates for their use as heterogeneous catalysts in a wide range of chemical reactions.
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