Copper Containing Covalent Triazine Frameworks as Highly Stable and Efficient Catalysts for the Guerbet Reaction

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The Guerbet reaction is a valuable route for producing β-alkylated alcohols with high added value. Here we demonstrate that copper on covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are remarkable catalysts for the conversion of 1-octanol into 2-hexyl-1-decanol. Three different CTFs with tunable porosity and tailored coordinating groups were explored, demonstrating how the interplay between nanoscale pores dimensions and chelating sites affect the catalytic performance. Under optimized conditions, 2-hexyl-1-decanol yields approaching 80% were achieved within 4 h at 200 °C using a copper loading of only 0.17 mol %. The high activity of the catalyst is evidenced by TON values exceeding 2200. The mesoporous nature of the nanostructured support was found to be fundamental for enhanced activity, likely due to reduced diffusional restrictions, while triazine-pyridine coordination ensured sustained activity. The best-performing catalyst combined these features and maintained catalytic performance over six reuse cycles. This study establishes copper containing CTFs as a versatile platform for Guerbet alcohol production, uniting nanoscale structural control with high activity, stability, and reusability.