Aromatizing Olefin Metathesis by Ligand Isolation inside a Metal– Organic Framework

The aromatizing ring-closing metathesis has been shown to take place inside an extended porous framework. Employing a combination of solvent-assisted linker exchange and postsynthesis modification using olefin metathesis, the noninterpenetrated SALEM-14 was formed and converted catalytically into PAH-MOF-1 with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pillars. The metal–organic framework in SALEM-14 prevents “intermolecular” olefin metathesis from occurring between the pillars in the presence of the first generation Hoveyda–Grubbs catalyst, while favoring the production of a PAH, which can be released from the framework under acidic conditions in dimethylsulfoxide.