Photophysical Properties and Heterogeneous Photoredox Catalytic Activities of Ru(bpy)3 @InBTB Metal-Organic Framework (MOF).

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with negatively charged frameworks are suitable for selectively encapsulating cationic guest ions via a cation-exchange process. Encapsulating photoactive [RuL3 ]2+ polypyridine complexes into the preorganized mesoscale channels of a MOF is a good method for stabilizing the excited states of the complexes. Three new RuL3 @InBTB MOFs were prepared by encapsulating cationic [Ru(bpy)3 ]2+ (bpy=2,2'-bipyridine), [Ru(phen)3 ]2+ (phen=1,10-phenanthroline), and [Ru(bpz)3 ]2+ (bpz=2,2'-bipyrazine) into the mesopores of a three-dimensional (3D) InBTB MOF (H3 BTB=1,3,5-benzenetribenzoic acid). The photophysical properties of the resulting materials were investigated by photoluminescence (PL) analysis. The photoredox catalytic activities were also investigated for the aza-Henry reaction, hydrogenation of dimethyl maleate, and decomposition of methyl orange under visible light irradiation at room temperature. RuL3 @InBTB MOFs were found to be very stable and highly recyclable photoredox catalytic systems.