Facile Fabrication of Nano-MIL-101(Cr) with Enhancement of Catalytic Activity in Oxidation of Indene

The well investigated chromium-benzenedicarboxylate metal-organic framework (MOF), nano-sized MIL-101(Cr), was synthesized in this study by using tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH) or acetic acid (HAc) as modulator. The addition of TMAOH/HAc played a crucial role on particle size and morphology of MIL-101(Cr). The obtained MIL-101(Cr) had average diameter of about ∼90 nm in selected condition, and possessed relatively high porosity (the BET surface area can up to 3500 m2/g). Furthermore, compared to bulk phase MIL-101(Cr), the nano-MIL-101(Cr) presented significant improvement of catalytic activity in oxidation of indene.