Photophysical Properties and Heterogeneous Photoredox Catalytic Activities of Ru(bpy)3@InBTB MOF.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with negatively charged frameworks are suitable for selectively encapsulating cationic guest ions via a cation-exchange process. Encapsulating photoactive [RuL3]2+ polypyridine complexes into the preorganized mesoscale channels of an MOF is a good method for stabilizing the excited states of the complexes. Three new RuL3@InBTB MOFs were prepared by encapsulating cationic [Ru(bpy)3]2+ (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine), [Ru(phen)3]2+ (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), and [Ru(bpz)3]2+ (bpz = 2,2'-bipyrazine) into the mesopores of a three-dimensional (3D) InBTB MOF (H3BTB = 1,3,5-benzenetribenzoic acid). The photophysical properties of the resulting materials were investigated by photoluminescence (PL) analysis. The photoredox catalytic activities were also investigated for the aza-Henry reaction, hydrogenation of dimethyl maleate, and decomposition of methyl orange under visible light irradiation at room temperature. RuL3@InBTB MOFs were found to be very stable and highly recyclable photoredox catalytic systems.