Au@Cu(II)-MOF: Highly Efficient Bifunctional Heterogeneous Catalyst for Successive Oxidation-Condensation Reactions.

A new composite Au@Cu(II)-MOF catalyst has been synthesized via solution impregnation and full characterized by HRTEM, SEM-EDS, XRD, gas adsorption-desorption, XPS, and ICP analysis. It has been shown here that the Cu(II)-framework can be a useful platform to stabilize and support gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). The obtained Au@Cu(II)-MOF exhibits a bifunctional catalytic behavior and is able to promote selective aerobic benzyl alcohol oxidation-Knoevenagel condensation in a stepwise way.