Application of basic isoreticular nanoporous metal–organic framework: IRMOF-3 as a suitable and efficient catalyst for the synthesis of chalcone

A highly porous isoreticular metal–organic framework (IRMOF-3) was synthesized and employed as a novel efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of chalcone via Claisen–Schmidt condensation. The effects of temperature, catalyst amount and solvent on the yield of chalcone were investigated. The results showed that IRMOF-3 not only showed high catalytic activities for the Claisen–Schmidt condensation reaction under environmentally friendly conditions, but remarkably, it could also be facilely separated from the reaction mixture and reused at least four times. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the reaction was truly heterogeneous and the contribution from leached active species in the liquid phase was negligible.