Construction and catalytic applications of an amino-functionalized covalent organic framework

Functionalization of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with specific groups will endow them special characteristics, and further complexation with transition metals may improve their catalytic performance and widen their applications. Herein, we constructed an amino-functionalized covalent organic framework TpPa-NH2 by the facile reduction in TpPa-NO2 and took it as a carrier for transition metal ion Cu(II) to yield a hybrid Cu-COF. All characterizations verified that the crystallinity and porosity of original COF were retained after functionalization. Subsequent evaluation of their catalytic performance indicated that the framework TpPa-NH2 has potential application in alkali-catalyzed reactions, while the hybrid Cu-COF displayed satisfactory catalytic performance both in selective oxidation of styrene and the reduction in 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol. The above results demonstrated that TpPa-NH2 is a promising platform with diverse applications, and the introduction of Cu(II) will endow the material with more potential applications in oxidation and reduction reactions.