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Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Functionalized Metal-organic Frameworks
Published on: September 5, 2014
Solvent-Mediated Structural Tuning of Eu-MOFs for the N-Formylation of Amines with CO2
Kaiwen Lei1, Yudong Shen1, Siyu Wang2
1School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.
Abstract:
The controllable synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with tailored structures and functionalities remains a key focus in materials chemistry, with solvent engineering serving as a powerful strategy for structural regulation. Herein, four europium-based MOFs (Eu-MOFs) derived from 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (H2DHTA) were solvothermally synthesized by varying the H2O/CH3CN solvent ratio ([Eu(DHTA)1.5(H2O)3]·H2O 1; [Eu2(DHTA)3(H2O)6]·2H2O 2; [Eu2(DHTA)3(H2O)4] 3; and [Eu2(DHTA)3(H2O)4]·H2O 4). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrate that the solvent composition precisely regulates the crystal structures of Eu-MOFs, including framework dimensionality, metal nuclearity, dihedral angles, and interligand angles, through hydrogen-bonding interactions and competitive coordination effects. Notably, compound 3 exhibits excellent catalytic activity toward the CO2-based N-formylation of amines at room temperature, affording high conversion for a wide range of amine substrates. In situ DRIFTS measurements further clarify the catalytic mechanism. This work not only systematically explores the solvent effect on the structural tuning of Eu-MOFs but also provides a highly efficient catalyst for the green conversion of CO2, demonstrating promising potential in sustainable catalysis and energy-related applications.
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