Disclosed herein are metal-organic frameworks and methods of making and use thereof.

Catalysts and methods for transformation of glycerol and a carbon feedstock, such as CO.sub.2, a carbonate salt or a bicarbonate salt, are described herein. Homogeneous catalysts include compounds of formula M[NHC-R-linker]aLbXc, where M is a transition metal, NHC is an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand, R is an alkyl or aryl group, linker is a polar group, L is a neutral ligand, X is an anionic ligand, a ranges from 1-3, b ranges from 0-3, and c ranges from 0-3. Heterogeneous catalysts include a solid support with a catalytically active compound immobilized on the solid support, where the catalytically active compound has the formula M[NHC-R-linker]aLbXc where M is a transition metal, NHC is an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand, R is an alkyl or aryl group; linker is a polar group, L is a neutral ligand, X is an anionic ligand, a ranges from 1-3, b ranges from 0-3, and c ranges from 0-3.

A method for the production of hydrocarbon(s), such as methane, substituted hydrocarbons, such as methanol, or the production of hydrogen, the method comprising the steps of contacting a first catalyst with water in order to photocatalyse the splitting of at least some of the water into hydrogen and oxygen; and contacting a second catalyst with a gas stream comprising carbon dioxide and at least some of the hydrogen produced from step (a) in order to photocatalyse the reaction between the hydrogen and carbon dioxide to produce hydrocarbon(s), such as methane, and/or substituted hydrocarbons, such as methanol. In an embodiment, the catalyst comprises gold and or ruthenium nanoclusters supported on a substrate.

Novel crystalline porous materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and methods for their synthesis are provided herein. The MOFs include a M.sub.6(.sub.3-OH).sub.8(OH).sub.8(.sup.2,.sup.2-(O.sub.2C).sub.2cyclam).sub.8 cluster, and a metal atom coordinated to the one or more cyclam of the cluster, wherein M is Zr or Hf, and the metal atom is any one of Cu, Ni, Cr, Ru, Co, and Gd. The MOFs can be used as an adsorbent, alone or in a medium with other components, of CO.sub.2. The MOFs can also be used as a catalyst for the transformation of CO.sub.2 and epoxides to cyclic carbonates. The MOFs can also be used in the electrochemical catalytic reduction of CO.sub.2. The MOFs can also be used for photocatalytic CO.sub.2 reduction for the production of carbon-based fossil fuels. The MOFs can also be used for light-induced nitric oxide (NO) release. The MOFs can also be used as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agents.

The invention describes phospho-amino pincer-type ligands, metal complexes thereof, and catalytic methods comprising such metal complexes for conversion of carbon dioxide to methanol, conversion of aldehydes into alcohols, conversion of aldehydes in the presence of a trifluoromethylation agent into trifluorinated secondary alcohols, cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to an epoxide to provide cyclic carbonates or preparation of an amide from the combination of an alcohol and an amine.

Provided herein are methods and catalysts for the production of hexoses, pentoses, tetroses, trioses, ketoses, heptoses, aldehydes, glycolaldehyde, and glyceraldehyde from carbon dioxide using a system that does not rely on biological production methods. The process first converts carbon dioxide into an aldehyde intermediate, which is secondly used as feedstock to produce larger aldehydes and sugars in a formose reaction. The resulting process is a useful CO2 utilization method for space exploration and in-situ resource utilization, with potential application for terrestrial production of low-carbon chemicals.

Provided is a carbon dioxide reduction composite catalyst, comprising an organic-inorganic porous body, and a molecular reduction catalyst combined with the organic-inorganic porous body, wherein the organic-inorganic porous body includes metal oxide clusters, and a light-condensing organic material as linkers between the metal oxide clusters, and the linkers absorb visible light to form excitons, and move the excitons through energy transfer between the linkers to transfer the electrons of the excitons to the molecular reduction catalyst.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of chiral and achiral macrocyclic polydentate ligands and methods of preparing the same. Disclosed herein are also embodiments of metal coordination complexes derived from these macrocyclic polydentate ligands and methods of preparing the same. The metal coordination complexes described herein, can be used for a variety of catalytic reactions, including hydrogenation and transfer hydrogenation of unsaturated organic compounds, dehydrogenation of alcohols and boranes, an asymmetric Michael-type addition reaction, or an aerobic oxidative kinetic resolution of an organic compound, dehydrogenative couplings and other catalytic transformations.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods that can achieve photoreduction of CO.sub.2 to CO in pure water at pH 6-7 with excellent performance parameters. In embodiments, the compositions and methods use CuInS.sub.2 colloidal quantum dots (QDs) as photosensitizers, and a Co-porphyrin catalyst.

The invention describes phospho-amino pincer-type ligands, metal complexes thereof, and catalytic methods comprising such metal complexes for conversion of carbon dioxide to methanol, conversion of aldehydes into alcohols, conversion of aldehydes in the presence of a trifluoromethylation agent into trifluorinated secondary alcohols, cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to an epoxide to provide cyclic carbonates or preparation of an amide from the combination of an alcohol and an amine.