Issue 14, 2016

Nanoporous carbons derived from MOFs as metal-free catalysts for selective aerobic oxidations

Abstract

Metal-free nanocarbon catalysts have attracted much attention in recent years for their advantages of corrosion resistance, no heavy metal pollution and environmental friendliness as compared to metal-based catalysts. However, a facile preparation of heteroatom doped mesoporous carbon with a high catalytic efficiency is challenging. Here we report the development of a new kind of metal-free catalyst comprised of highly graphitized N-doped nanoporous carbons from direct carbonization of metal–organic frameworks. After metal etching, large specific surface areas and pore volumes, as well as high contents of sp2-bonded carbons are realized in the obtained carbons at the same time. As metal-free catalysts, these nitrogen-doped carbon materials exhibit excellent catalytic performances and robust stability in a series of oxidation reactions including aerobic oxidation of cyclohexane and toluene as well as oxidative coupling of amines. Systematic characterizations suggest that the accessible mesopores generated by chemical etching, and the homogeneous distribution of doped graphitic-type nitrogen should be responsible for the unprecedented performance of these carbon catalysts.

Graphical abstract: Nanoporous carbons derived from MOFs as metal-free catalysts for selective aerobic oxidations

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
12 Jan 2016
Accepted
09 Mar 2016
First published
09 Mar 2016

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016,4, 5247-5257

Nanoporous carbons derived from MOFs as metal-free catalysts for selective aerobic oxidations

X. Wang and Y. Li, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016, 4, 5247 DOI: 10.1039/C6TA00324A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements