A readily available urea based MOF that act as a highly active heterogeneous catalyst for Friedel-Crafts reaction of indoles and nitrostryenes

Abstract A new urea-containing metal-organic frameworkhas been rationally synthesized from a V-shaped dicarboxylate ligand and utilized as hydrogen-bond-donating catalyst, which is highly efficient and recyclable for Friedel-Crafts reaction. The MOF catalyst has the advantages of excellent product yields and a low catalyst loading. Moreover, the catalyst shows a remarkably superior activity compared to its homogenous urea counterparts.