Conversion of a metal-organic framework to N-doped porous carbon incorporating Co and CoO nanoparticles: direct oxidation of alcohols to esters.

A Co-based metal-organic framework, ZIF-67, has been exploited as a self-template to afford N-doped porous carbon incorporating Co NPs with surface-oxidized CoO species, which exhibit excellent catalytic activity, selectivity and magnetic recyclability toward the direct oxidation of alcohols to esters with O2 as a benign oxidant under mild conditions.