A new family of metal–organic
frameworks (MOFs) named GR-MOFs with the chemical formula
{[M
x
(BCA)
y
](H2O)
z
(DMF)
w
} (x,y,z,w: 1,1,2,0;
1,1.5,0,1; 1,2,2,1; and 1,1,0,2 for GR-MOF-11 to 14, respectively) based on s-block [M: Sr (GR-MOF-11), Ba (GR-MOF-14)] and d-block [M: Y (GR-MOF-12) and Cd (GR-MOF-13)] metals together with the biquinoline
ligand 2,2′-bicinchoninic acid (H2BCA) has been
synthetized by a solvothermal route and fully characterized by elemental
and thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,
photoluminescence, particle size distribution through optical microscopy,
electrophoretic mobility, and finally, X-ray single-crystal and powder
diffraction. The structural characterization reveals that these 2D
and 3D MOFs possess a rich variety of coordination modes that maintained
the Janus-head topology on the ligand in most of the cases. The new
MOFs were studied in the catalyzed cyanosilylation and hydroboration
of an extensive group of aldehydes and ketones, wherein the s-block
metal-based MOFs GR-MOF-11 and GR-MOF-14 provided the highest efficiency ever reported in the MOF-catalyzed
cyanosilylation of carbonyl compounds by using only 0.5 mol % of catalyst
loading, room temperature, and solvent-free conditions. Furthermore,
the hydroboration of ketones has been reported for the first time
with this type of s-block metal catalysts obtaining from moderate
to good conversions.