CO2 epoxidation
to cyclic carbonates under
mild, solvent-free
conditions is a promising pathway toward sustainable CO2 utilization. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) explored for
such applications so far are commonly composed of nonrenewable ligands
such as benzene dicarboxylate (BDC) or synthetically complex linkers
and therefore are not suitable for commercial utilization. Here, we
report new yttrium 2,5-furandicarboxylate (FDC)-based MOFs: “UOW-1”
and “UOW-2” synthesized via solvothermal assembly, with
the former having a unique structural topology. The FDC linker can
be derived from biomass and is a green and sustainable alternative
to conventionally used BDC ligands, which are sourced exclusively
from fossil fuels. UOW-1, owing to unique coordination unsaturation
and a high density of Lewis active sites, promotes a high catalytic
activity (∼100% conversion; ∼99% selectivity), a high
turnover frequency (70 h–1), and favorable first-order
kinetics for CO2 epoxidation reactions using an epichlorohydrin
model substrate under solvent-free conditions within 6 h and a minimal
cocatalyst amount. A systematic catalytic study was carried out by
broadening the epoxide substrate scope to determine the influence
of electronic and steric factors on CO2 epoxidation. Accordingly,
higher conversion efficiencies were observed for substrates with high
electrophilicity on the carbon center and minimal steric bulk. The
work presents the first demonstration of sustainable FDC-based MOFs
used for efficient CO2 utilization.
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