Friedel-crafts alkylation of anisole and benzyl bromide using ZIF-8 as an efficient catalyst

Abstract

A highly porous zeolite imidazolate frameworks (ZIF-8) was synthesized from the reaction of zinc nitrate hexahydrate and 2-methylimidazole by a solvothermal method in DMF. The ZIF-8 was characterized using several techniques including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), and nitrogen physisorption measurements. Highly crystalline porous ZIF-8 was achieved with Langmuir surface areas of more than 1700 m²/g being observed. The ZIF-8 could be effectively used as a solid acid catalyst for the Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction between anisole and benzyl bromide with no contribution from homogeneous catalysis of active acid species leaching into reaction solution.