CuI nanoparticles-immobilized on a hybrid material composed of IRMOF-3 and a sulfonamide-based porous organic polymer as an efficient nanocatalyst for one-pot synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted benzo[b]furans

This study was conducted to synthesize and characterize a new polymer/metal–organic framework (MOF) stabilizer via the reaction between a sulfonamide-triazine-based porous organic polymer (poly(sulfonamide-triazine)) (PSTA) and an amino-functionalized zinc metal–organic framework (IRMOF-3). Next, the prepared nanocomposites (IRMOF-3/PSTA/Cu) were modified using copper iodide nanoparticles (CuI NPs). The composites were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, EDX, N2 adsorption–desorption, TGA, SEM, TEM, and XPS analysis. Finally, the application of the prepared nanocomposites was investigated through the one-pot synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted benzo[b]furans. To this end, alkyne, salicylaldehydes, and amines were subjected to a three-component domino reaction. All products were obtained in high turnover frequency (TOF) up to 142.42, suggesting this catalyst's high selectivity and activity in the mentioned domino reactions. The synthesized nanocatalyst is reusable up to seven times with no considerable catalytic efficiency loss. Overall, the high yields of products, nanocatalyst's facile recovery, short reaction time, and wide substrate scopes make this procedure eco-friendly, practical, and economically justified.