New Bifunctional Metal–Organic Frameworks and Their Utilization in One-Pot Tandem Catalytic Reactions

Two new metal–organic framework (MOF) compounds were synthesized by a room temperature slow diffusion reaction. The compounds, [Cd3(C8H3SO7)2(C10H8N4)3(C3H7NO)2](C3H7NO)2·(CH3OH)4, I, and [Cd3(C8H3SO7)2(C12H10N4)3(C3H7NO)2](C12H10N4)·(C3H7NO)2, II, have comparable structures formed by Cd-sulfoisopthalate layers cross-linked by bipyridyl linkers forming three-dimensional structures. The compounds have both Lewis acidic (Cd metal centers) as well as basic (azine, free pyridine, and uncoordinated sulfo oxygens) sites, and they exhibited good catalytic activity for one-pot tandem deacetalization–Knoevenagel condensation reactions. The compounds exhibit catalytic activity both in the presence of a solvent as well as in solvent-free conditions. Compound I also exhibits good proton conductivity at room temperature.