Zeolite-like metal-organic frameworks as platforms for applications: on metalloporphyrin-based catalysts

The extra-large cavities of zeolite-like metal-organic frameworks (ZMOFs) offer great potential for their exploration in applications pertinent to larger molecules, like porphyrins. The anionic nature of the framework allowed for facile in situ encapsulation of a cationic free-base porphyrin, and the alpha-cage of our (In-imidazoledicarboxylate)-based rho-ZMOF is ideally suited to the isolation of one porphyrin molecule per cage, which prevents the oxidative self-degradation associated with self-dimerization common in homogeneous catalysis and upon aggregation in solid supports like mesoporous silicates or polymers. The encapsulation of a free-base porphyrin 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methyl-4- pyridinio)porphyrin] and the stability of the rho-ZMOF to metalation conditions, allows for the preparation of a variety of metalloporphyrins (i.e., Mn, Cu, Co, Zn ions) with the ZMOF serving as a platform. The Mn-metallated porphyrin encapsulated in rho-ZMOF shows catalytic activity toward the oxidation of cyclohexane, with turn-over numbers, to the best of our knowledge, higher than reported for similar heterogeneous systems, and our system can be recycled up to 11 cycles, which represents a longer lifetime than reported for any other system.