Materiaux de l'Institute Lavosier-101 (MIL-101) promotes benzylic oxidation of hydrocarbons exclusively by molecular oxygen in the absence of any other oxidizing reagent or initiator. Using indane as model compound, the selectivity toward the wanted ol/one mixture is higher for MIL-101(Cr) (87% selectivity at 30% conversion) than for MIL-101(Fe) (71% selectivity at 30% conversion), a fact that was associated with the preferential adsorption of indane within the pore system. Product distribution and quenching experiments with 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy, benzoic acid, and dimethylformamide show that the reaction mechanism is a radical chain autoxidation of the benzylic positions by molecular oxygen, and the differences in selectivity have been attributed to the occurrence of the autoxidation process inside or outside the metal organic framework pores. MIL-101 is reusable, does not leach metals to the solution, and maintains the crystal structure during the reaction. The scope of the benzylic oxidation was expanded to other benzylic compounds including ethylbenzene, n-butylbenzene, iso-butylbenzene, 1bromo-4-butylbenzene, sec-butylbenzene, and cumene.

frameworks (MOFs) are currently attracting considerable attention as heterogeneous catalysts at moderate temperatures, mainly for liquid-phase reactions. Since structural stability is one of the major concerns for the use of MOFs in catalysis, particularly considering that frequently some of the reported MOF materials are very unstable, the interest in this area has been focused on those MOFs exhibiting the highest structural robustness, UiO-66 being among the most widely used. Two introductory sections deal with the synthesis, structure and main properties of UiO-66, including its remarkable thermal (up to 350°C) and chemical (aqueous solution in a wide pH range) stability. The main body of the review summarizes those examples of using UiO-66 in catalysis grouped according to the nature of the active sites, starting with the use of UiO-66 as Lewis acids. In this section, emphasis has been made in the recent strategies to create structural defects in a controlled way that generate Lewis acidity. Other sections cover examples illustrating substituted terephthalate as active sites and the evidence that there is a synergy between acid and basic sites in close proximity that make some of these UiO-66 with substituents at the linker to act as dual acid-base catalysts. Other sections are focused on the use of UiO-66 as hosts of metal nanoparticles, metal oxides and other host, remarking the influence that the nature of UiO-66 and the possible presence of substituents in the framework play on the activity of the incorporated guest. The last section summarizes the current state of the art in the use of UiO-66 in catalysis and provides our views on future developments regarding the application of UiO-66 in industrial processes.

MIL-101 promotes the aerobic oxidation in n-dodecane of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and its methyl-substituted derivatives to their corresponding sulfone with complete selectivity, without observation of the sulfoxide. DBT sulfones can be completely separated from n-dodecane by water extraction. MIL-101(Cr) without the need of pre-activation was found more convenient than the also-active MIL-101(Fe) analog. The reaction exhibits an induction period due to the diffusion inside the pore system of the solvent or oxygen and it is not observed if the MIL-101 sample is first contacted with the solvent at the reaction temperature for sufficiently long times. MIL-101 is reusable for at least five times without any sign of deactivation according to the time-conversion plots. Evidence by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy detecting the hydroperoxide radical adduct with a spin trapping agent and Raman spectroscopy detection of superoxide supports that the process is an autooxidation reaction initiated by MIL-101 following the expected radical chain mechanism inside the MIL-101 cages.