An efficient approach for enhancing the catalytic activity of Ni-MOF-74 via a relay catalyst system for the selective oxidation of benzylic C-H bonds under mild conditions.

Although nickel-based materials exhibit similar catalytic activity to palladium in organic synthesis, the selective oxidation of inert C-H bonds in the absence of other co-catalysts remains a largely unsolved challenge. This paper introduces a facile and efficient approach for enhancing the catalytic activity of Ni-MOF-74 with [bmim]Br via a relay catalysis strategy, which is excellent for the selective oxidation of benzylic C-H bonds. Notably, the catalyst recycling and scale up experiments demonstrated the practicability of the protocol. This method combines the catalytic advantages of MOFs and ionic liquids (ILs), and provides an insight into oxidation reactions by cheap and efficient Ni-based catalysts.