Nanoreactor Based on Macroporous Single Crystals of Metal-Organic Framework

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Germany), 2016-11, Vol.12 (41), p.5702-5709
• Main Authors: Wang, Shuhai, Fan, Yanan, Teng, Jun, Fan, Yan-Zhong, Jiang, Ji-Jun, Wang, Hai-Ping, Grützmacher, Hansjörg, Wang, Dawei, Su, Cheng-Yong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alcohols; catalysis; Metal-organic frameworks; nanoparticles; nanoreactors; Nanostructure; Nanotechnology; Oxidation; Reactors; Selectivity; Single crystals; Synthesis; yolk-shell
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.201601873

A sacrificial template strategy is developed for the synthesis of yolk–shell Au@ZIF‐8 nanoreactor. The Au@ZIF‐8 nanoreactor possesses single‐crystalline metal‐organic framework (MOF) shell with intrinsic monodisperse micropores and introduced macropores. In each of the macropores, one Au NP is encapsulated to form a nanoreactor unit. The quantity of the reactor units in the MOF shell can be readily regulated. Such structure features of the Au@ZIF‐8 nanoreactor facilitate the size selectivity of reactants, the accessibility of Au nanoparticles to reactants, and the mass transfer of reactants and products. As a result, the Au@ZIF‐8 nanoreactor delivers excellent size selectivity, enhanced conversion, and good cycling stability when used to catalyze the aerobic oxidation of alcohols with different molecular size. Au@ZIF‐8 nanoreactor with yolk–shell nanostructure is synthesized via a sacrificial template approach. The Au@ZIF‐8 nanoreactor features single‐crystalline metal‐organic framework shell with intrinsic monodisperse micropores and introduced macropores, tunable reactor units integrated in each ZIF‐8 shell, and large voids in between Au NPs and ZIF‐8 shell, which therefore results in its excellent performances toward the catalytic aerobic oxidation of alcohols.