Functionalized zeolitic imidazolate framework F-ZIF-90 as efficient catalyst for the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to allyl glycidyl ether

•Functionalized zeolitic imidazolate framework (F-ZIF-90) was successfully synthesized.•F-ZIF-90 showed excellent catalytic activity for the cycloaddition of CO2 with AGE.•F-ZIF-90 exhibited better catalytic activity than unfunctionalized ZIF-90.

In this study, zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-90) was synthesized from Zn(NO3)2·4H2O and imidazolate-2-carboxyaldehyde (ICA), then it was post-functionalized to form F-ZIF-90 using hydrazine followed by quaternization. The ZIFs were characterized by elemental analysis (EA), BET, XRD, 13C NMR, FT-IR, and SEM. The surface area and pore volume of F-ZIF-90 were smaller than those of ZIF-90 due to functionalization inside the pores. The F-ZIF-90 showed excellent catalytic activity for the synthesis of the cyclic carbonate from allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) and carbon dioxide. The effects of the reaction parameters such as catalyst amount, reaction time, CO2 pressure, and reaction temperature on the reactivity of F-ZIF-90 were also studied, and reaction mechanism including the role of F-ZIF-90 catalyst was proposed. The F-ZIF-90 catalyst, however, partially lost its crystalline structure and superior catalytic performance when it was reused.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (82 K)Download as PowerPoint slide