Polyoxometalate-Incorporated Framework as a Heterogeneous Catalyst for Selective Oxidation of C-H Bonds of Alkylbenzenes.

Developing new catalysts for highly efficient and selective oxidation of saturated C-H bonds is significant due to their thermodynamic strength. Via incorporation of PW12O403-, pyridine-2,5-dicarboxylic acids (pydc), and Fe(III) ions into one framework, a new polyoxometalate-based metal-organic framework, [HFe4O2(H2O)4(pydc)3PW12O40]·10.5H2O (FeW-PYDC), was successfully prepared by a hydrothermal method. Interestingly, FeW-PYDC features a three-dimensional porous structure with {Fe4O2} interconnecting with PW12O403- units. FeW-PYDC displayed excellent performance in the selective oxidation of C-H bonds of alkylbenzenes with high conversion (95.7%) and selectivity (96.6%). As an effective heterogeneous catalyst, FeW-PYDC demonstrates good reusability and structural stability.