Aerobic Oxidation of Alcohol Over Copper(II)‐Based Metal–Organic Framework: Synthesis, X‐Ray Structure, and Catalytic Study

ABSTRACT A copper‐based one‐dimensional framework compound [Cu 2 (L 1 ) 4 (L 2 )] n ( 1 ) [L 1 = 3‐(2‐thienyl)acrylic acid, L 2 = 4,4′‐bipyridine] has been synthesized by slow diffusion of layers technique and characterized by spectroscopic methods and single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography. X‐ray diffraction analysis reveals that the compound is crystallized in the triclinic crystal system with space group P ī. Two neighboring Cu centers are bridged by four carboxylato groups from four different L 1 ligands, leading to the formation of a paddle‐wheel [Cu 2 (COO − ) 4 ] secondary building unit (SBU). The paddle‐wheel units are interconnected by bidentate 4,4′‐bipyridine ligands to form a one‐dimensional infinite chain network. In [Cu 2 (L 1 ) 4 (L 2 )] n ( 1 ), Cu(II) ion features a penta‐coordinated environment around it. Notably, [Cu 2 (L 1 ) 4 (L 2 )] n ( 1 ) is capable of activating molecular oxygen to efficiently catalyze the oxidation of alcohols under base‐free conditions.