Visible-LED-light-driven photocatalytic synthesis of N-heterocycles mediated by a polyoxometalate-containing mesoporous zirconium metal-organic framework

A mesoporous metal-organic framework with photothermal properties, namely PCN-222, was solvothermally synthesized from meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin and zirconium chloride employing both benzoic acid (BA) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as modifiers. The MOF material subsequently served as a porous support for a polyoxometalate (POM), H3PW12O40, via a facile impregnation method which rendered a novel porous POM@PCN-222 composite. The solid was characterized by FT-IR, PXRD, SEM/EDX, TGA/DSC, ICP-OES, UV–Vis DRS, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and BET surface area. The one-pot synthesis of N-heterocycles (pyridine derivatives) was investigated utilizing the hybrid material via one-pot pseudo four-component reaction between aromatic aldehydes, methyl acetoacetate and ammonium acetate promoted under visible LED light irradiation in the presence of molecular oxygen as green oxidant. Products were selectively formed in good yields in the presence of the recyclable heterogeneous solid. Remarkably, POM@PCN-222 showed a superior performance for this procedure as compared to both unfunctionalized MOF and POM. The photosensitizer and photothermal properties of the porphyrin linkers combined with Lewis acidic sites derived from PW12 and Zr6-nodes were responsible for the observed excelling performance. To understand the mechanism, control investigations, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis and FT-IR reaction monitoring were performed. The work discloses, for the first time, a simple and environmentally friendly approach for the direct production of pyridines via one-pot thermo-photocatalytic approach using a novel POM-modified MOF in the absence of any chemical additive. © 2021