Preparation of Superhydrophobic Metal-Organic Framework/Polymer Composites as Stable and Efficient Catalysts

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as a chemical platform, combined with multifunctional polymers are of interest in catalytic applications, which can not only inherit the outstanding properties of the two components but also lead to unique synergistic effects. Nonetheless, most MOFs possess varying degrees of water instability, which limits their real application. Herein, we fabricated highly hydrophobic MOF/polymer composites via a universal post-synthetic polymerization strategy as efficient catalysts. Polyaniline (PANI) was first hybridized with MOFs by vapor deposition polymerization, and then, hydrophobic molecules were grafted to the PANI by a covalent linking process, thereby forming a superhydrophobic MOF/PANI hybrid material (MOF/PANI-shp). The resultant MOF/PANI-shp not only obtains superior moisture/water resistance without significantly disturbing the original features but also exhibits a novel catalytic selectivity in styrene oxidation because of the accessible sites and synergistic effects. Such a synthetic strategy for the MOF/polymer catalyst opens a new avenue for the design of a unique catalyst with outstanding catalytic efficiency, selectivity, and stability.