Covalent metal-organic network (CMON) materials are coordination polymers formed by covalent bonding between rigid organic spacers and transition metals of known coordination tendencies. The conditions of synthesis and the types of molecular building blocks employed can be varied to afford various dimensionalities and architectures in the networks. Materials engineered to have large pores have found application in molecular recognition, gas storage, separation and heterogeneous catalysis. Our research focuses primarily on catalysis. Solid heterogeneous catalysts are easily recovered by filtration, and are therefore more environmentally friendly and cost-efficient. Presented in the poster is an outline of the syntheses of various CMON materials obtained from the reaction of Ti(OR)4 (R = isopropyl, 2-butyl) with dihydroxy functionalized organic spacers (4,4'-biphenol, bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)sulfide) in pyridine, THF and benzene at 130°C along with the results of the characterization of these microcrystalline materials by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Current work on the synthesis and characterization of a novel bisoxazoline catalyst ligand to be anchored inside the CMON materials from diethyl(benzyloxyethyl)malonate and R-(-)-tert-leucinol is also described. Finally, the results of catalyst screenings of the system in the enantioselective addition of ZnMe2 to benzaldehyde will be reported.
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