Highly Efficient MOF-Driven Silver Subnanometer Clusters for the Catalytic Buchner Ring Expansion Reaction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Subnanometer metal clusters show exceptional catalytic properties.
• Developing efficient catalysts is crucial for industrial chemical processes.
• Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer tunable platforms for catalyst design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the gram-scale synthesis of silver subnanometer clusters.
• To encapsulate these clusters within a novel anionic MOF.
• To evaluate the catalytic performance of the resulting material.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a highly crystalline three-dimensional anionic metal-organic framework.
• Incorporation of silver (Ag₂⁰) subnanometer clusters within the MOF channels.
• Characterization using single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
• Assessment of catalytic activity in the Buchner ring expansion reaction.

Main Results:

• Successful gram-scale preparation of Ag₂⁰ subnanometer clusters within the MOF [Ag₂⁰]@Ag^I₂Na^I₂{Ni^II₄[Cu^II₂(Me₃mpba)₂]₃}·48H₂O.
• The crystalline solid catalyst was fully characterized.
• Demonstrated high catalytic activity for the Buchner ring expansion reaction.

Conclusions:

• The novel MOF-encapsulated silver clusters represent an efficient catalyst.
• This approach enables the preparation of catalytically active subnanometer metal clusters.
• The catalyst shows promise for applications in industrially relevant chemical transformations.