A five coordination Cu(ii) cluster-based MOF and its application in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals viasp3C–H/N–H oxidative couplingElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Synthesis and characterization of VNU-18, additional catalytic data, and recycling studies. CCDC 1515280. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c7cy00882a

Herein, a copper metal–organic framework, termed as VNU-18, containing penta-coordinated sites was successfully synthesized and fully characterized. This material was demonstrated to be an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the oxidative C–H activation viaN–H bonds. The optimized conditions are applicable for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals constructed by α-amino carbonyl skeletons.