A Ni(II)-MOF: reversible guest adsorption and heterogeneous catalytic properties for silylcyanation of aromatic aldehydes

A porous Ni(II)-MOF, which was constructed from a new bent fluorene-bridged ligand and NiCl2 under solvothermal conditions, can reversibly uptake organic solvent molecules and iodine species in a single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SC-SC) fashion. Furthermore, the obtained I-2 subset of Ni(II)-MOF can be a highly active heterogeneous catalyst to promote solvent-free silylcyanation of aromatic aldehydes under mild conditions.