Vanadium Docked Covalent-Organic Frameworks: An Effective Heterogeneous Catalyst for Modified Mannich-Type Reaction

Accurate and precise control of the transition-metal ions in the docking sites of porous functional materials especially covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) is a challenging task in the synthesis of hybrid materials. In this work, we demonstrate the successful synthesis, characterization, and utilization of two stable vanadium docked COFs, namely VO-TAPT-2,3-DHTA and VO-PyTTA-2,3-DHTA as efficient heterogeneous catalysts for Mannich-type reactions. The obtained results revealed that the as-prepared vanadium-decorated COFs are robust and maintain framework crystallinity, reusability, and efficiency under the sway of electronic and steric effects. Significantly, this work opens up the opportunity for docking other metals and exploring practically and industrially important catalytic reactions.