Zr-MOF-808 as Catalyst for Amide Esterification.

In this work, zirconium-based metal-organic framework Zr-MOF-808-P has been found to be an efficient and versatile catalyst for amide esterification. Comparing with previously reported homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts, Zr-MOF-808-P can promote the reaction for a wide range of primary, secondary and tertiary amides with n-butanol as nucleophilic agent. Different alcohols have been employed in amide esterification with quantitative yields. Moreover, the catalyst acts as a heterogeneous catalyst and could be reused for at least five consecutive cycles. The amide esterification mechanism has been studied on the Zr-MOF-808 at molecular level by in situ FTIR spectroscopic technique and kinetic study.