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Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Development of Heterogeneous Enantioselective Catalysts using Chiral Metal-Organic Frameworks MOFs
Published on: January 17, 2020
Homochiral 2D Porous Covalent Organic Frameworks for Heterogeneous Asymmetric Catalysis
Xiuren Wang1, Xing Han1, Jie Zhang1
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 200240, China.
Abstract:
There have been breakthroughs in the development of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with tunability of composition, structure, and function, but the synthesis of chiral COFs remains a great challenge. Here we report the construction of two-dimensional COFs with chiral functionalities embedded into the frameworks by imine condensations of enantiopure TADDOL-derived tetraaldehydes with 4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane. Powder X-ray diffraction and computer modeling together with pore size distribution analysis show that one COF has a twofold-interpenetrated grid-type network and the other has a non-interpenetrated grid network. After postsynthetic modification of the chiral dihydroxy groups of TADDOL units with Ti(O(i)Pr)4, the materials are efficient and recyclable heterogeneous catalysts for asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes with high enantioselectivity. The results reported here will greatly expand the scope of materials design and engineering for the creation of new types of functional porous materials.
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