Stable metal-organic frameworks with high catalytic performance in the cycloaddition of CO2 with aziridines

Based on the mixed ligands XN (4′-(4-pyridine)4,2′:2′,4″-terpyridine) and isophthalic acid (IPA), three new metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) {[M2(XN)2(IPA)2]•2H2O}n (M=Co (1), Mn (2), Ni (3)) were assembled and structurally characterized, presenting 3D pillar-chain feature structures. Stability measurements demonstrate that these compounds possess high thermostability and can endure different organic solvents as well as various acid/base solutions with pH range of 1 to 14. Importantly, compounds 1–3 can serve as high-efficiency catalysts for the transformation of CO2 and aziridines to form high-value oxazolidinones under mild conditions, exhibiting excellent cyclicity at least five times.