Cu-MOF/Au–Pd composite catalyst: preparation and catalytic performance evaluation

Heterogeneous metal–organic framework composites are widely used to catalyze the synthesis reaction of organic materials. Here, we report the use of a heterogeneous catalyst to catalyze the reaction of alcohols and amines to synthesize imines directly using a one-pot method. A low-dimensional Cu-MOF prepared by a simple surfactant-assisted method shows the morphology of nanorods. Cu-MOF nanorods provide an ideal support for preparing supported metal nanocatalysts. A reduction method was applied to immobilize the ultrafine noble metal Au and Pd nanoparticles on the surface of Cu-MOF nanorods to form a Cu-MOF/Au–Pd composite catalyst. Cu-MOF/Au–Pd catalyst is used to catalyze the reaction between alcohols and amines to form imines. Due to the synergy between different metal nanoparticles, it can effectively catalyze the reaction to form imines. In addition, Cu2+ in Cu-MOF/Au–Pd catalyst facilitates the adsorption of substances by excess electrons and promotes product formation. After 12 h of catalytic reaction, the yield of imine is as high as 95%.