Abstract
Heterogeneous catalysts typically lack the specific steric control and rational electronic tuning required for precise asymmetric catalysis. Here we demonstrate that a phosphonate metal-organic framework (MOF) platform that is robust enough to accommodate up to 16 different metal clusters, allowing for systematic tuning of Lewis acidity, catalytic activity and enantioselectivity. A total of 16 chiral porous MOFs, with the framework formula [M(3) L (2)(solvent)(2)] that have the same channel structures but different surface-isolated Lewis acid metal sites, are prepared from a single phosphono-carboxylate ligand of 1,1'-biphenol and 16 different metal ions. The phosphonate MOFs possessing tert-butyl-coated channels exhibited high thermal stability and good tolerances to boiling water, weak acid and base. The MOFs provide a versatile family of heterogeneous catalysts for asymmetric allylboration, propargylation, Friedel-Crafts alkylation and sulfoxidation with good to high enantioselectivity. In contrast, the homogeneous catalyst systems cannot catalyze the test reactions enantioselectively.