Selective cycloaddition of ethylene oxide to CO2 within the confined space of an amino acid-based metal-organic framework.

Host-guest chemistry within the confined space of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offers an almost unlimited myriad of possibilities, hardly accessible with other materials. Here we report the synthesis and physical characterization, with atomic resolution by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, of a novel water-stable tridimensional MOF, derived from the amino acid S-methyl-L-cysteine, {SrZn6[(S,S)-Mecysmox]3(OH)2(H2O)}·9H2O (1), and its application as a robust and efficient solid catalyst for the cycloaddition reaction of ethylene/propylene oxide with CO2 to afford ethylene/propylene carbonate with yields of up to 95% and selectivity of up to 100%. These results nicely illustrate the great potential of MOFs to be game changers for the selective synthesis of industrially relevant products, representing a powerful alternative to the current heterogeneous catalysts.