Design Of chiral porous bio-hybrid Materials based on rIgid and fuNctionalized Oligopeptides as asymmetric catalysts for CO2 conversion – DOMINO

DOMINO aims to discover a novel class of amino acid/dipeptide-based porous bioMOFs combining a high chemical stability, multiple catalytic sites and homochirality and to evaluate the performance of these materials as heterogeneous catalysts for CO2 cycloaddition to epoxides. Novel bioMOFs will be synthesized by assembling Zr4+oxo clusters with synthetic, rigid and functionalized amino acids/dipeptides that have never been considered so far as building blocks of MOFs. The structure of these materials will be determined by coupling single crystal/powder X-ray diffraction and solid state NMR spectroscopy. Their chemical/thermal stability, porosity, homochirality, Lewis/ Brønsted acid-base properties, and CO2/epoxide adsorption properties will be characterized by coupling multiple advanced characterization techniques. DOMINO aims to demonstrate the efficiency of these bioMOFs, as heterogeneous catalysts for CO2 cycloaddition to epoxides operating under ambient (room temperature (RT) and 1 bar) and eco-compatible solvent-free conditions. The ultimate objective of DOMINO is also to evaluate the promises of the targeted homochiral bioMOFs as asymmetric catalysts for the synthesis of enantio-enriched CAs through a kinetic resolution of racemic epoxides. Three groups working synergistically in synthesis/structure determination of hybrid porous materials (ILV), spectroscopic characterization of catalysts (LRS) and catalytic testing (ICMMO) will be involved to tackle this ambitious project.