A novel electrode design using Cu-TCPP MOF-modified MWCNT for efficient electro-organic cross coupling synthesis of biphenyl derivatives in a Urea/Chol-Cl DES system as a green and sustainable electrolyte

The environmental and economic challenges of cross-coupling reactions arise mainly from reliance on expensive transition metals, toxic solvents, and harsh reaction conditions. These factors lead to high energy use, waste generation, and ecological harm, while the scarcity and cost of metals limit scalability. Organic solvents further increase carbon emissions and toxicity. Overcoming these issues is crucial for developing more sustainable and cost-effective cross-coupling methods. This study introduces a novel electrode design that employs a Cu-TCPP metal-organic framework (MOF)-modified oxidized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (o-MWCNT) for the efficient electro-organic synthesis of biphenyl derivatives 4(a-n) from chlorobenzenes 1(a-j) and triphenyl bismuthines 2(a-j). Conducted within a green urea/choline chloride (Urea/Chol-Cl) 3(a) DES system, the synthesis achieved remarkable yields of 90% to 97% in just 1 h at ambient temperature under a constant current of 10 mA. The characterization of the o-MWCNT-Cu-TCPP catalyst was performed using a various of techniques, including FT-IR, SEM, EDS, EDX mapping, XPS, cyclic voltammetry (CV), TGA, and BET analysis. The resulting biphenyl derivatives 4(a-n) were confirmed through melting point determination, 1HNMR, and CHN analysis. This work underscores the potential of Cu-TCPP MOF-modified electrodes as sustainable and efficient catalysts for organic synthesis, paving the way for further exploration of their applications in green chemistry.