TEMPO-functionalized porous aromatic framework for efficient and selective electrocatalytic oxidation of cyclooctene

Abstract

The development of economically viable and environmentally benign oxidation reaction systems with high selectivity and efficiency is a key focus in synthetic chemistry. Utilizing water as an oxygen source, alongside an anodic system for converting water to oxygenated compounds, represents an atom-economical and sustainable strategy for highly selectively synthesizing epoxides. Herein, we synthesized a novel porous aromatic framework with TEMPO radicals uniformly immobilized on the pore surface by a synthetic bottom-up approach (PAF-TEMPO). Strategically grafting TEMPO catalytic sites, which results in a highly dense and uniform dispersion, promotes extensive reactant contact, thereby enhancing catalytic efficiency. The PAF-TEMPO catalyst demonstrated efficient electrocatalytic activity for cyclooctene oxidation to cyclooctene oxide, achieving 89.7 % yield and 90.3 % selectivity with good recyclability. This work will give inspiration for novel electrocatalyst design and development of green and sustainable catalytic systems.