Synthesis of UiO-66-Pyca-CuO by a Simple and Novel Method: MOF-based Metal Thin Film as Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Synthesis of α-Aminonitriles.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), particularly UiO-66-NH, are employed as catalysts in many industrial catalyst applications. As converting catalysts into thin film significantly increases their catalytic properties, we report a general approach to synthesizing MOF thin films (UiO-66-Pyca-CuO). First, functionalization of UiO-66-NH was done with 3-pyridine carboxaldehyde by the postsynthesis method, and then, UiO-66-Pyca was entangled on the surface of copper oxide nanoparticles with a modern strategy (MOF thin film). The morphology and structure of the synthesized UiO-66-Pyca-CuO were determined by using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive analysis of X-ray, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, elemental analyses of CHNOS, temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We studied the catalytic action of the UiO-66-Pyca-CuO thin film in the synthesis of α-aminonitriles via Strecker reaction. Our studies show that this catalysis can be a suitable catalyst in the synthesis of α-aminonitriles because of having advantages such as using the solvent being environmentally friendly, easy separation of the catalyst (only by picking up the MOF thin film from inside the solution), the reaction at room temperature, high yield, and reusability.