Elongated and substituted triazine-based tricarboxylic acid linkers for MOFs

New triazine-based tricarboxylic acid linkers were prepared as elongated relatives of triazinetribenzoic acid (TATB). Additionally, functional groups (NO(2), NH(2), OMe, OH) were introduced for potential post-synthetic modification (PSM) of MOFs. Functionalized tris(4-bromoaryl)triazine “cores” (3a,3b) were obtained by unsymmetric trimerization mixing one equivalent of an acid chloride (OMe or NO(2) substituted) with two equivalents of an unsubstituted nitrile. Triple Suzuki coupling of the cores 3 with suitable phenyl- and biphenylboronic acid derivatives provided elongated tricarboxylic acid linkers as carboxylic acids 17 and 20 or their esters 16 and 19. Reduction of the nitro group and cleavage of the methoxy group gave the respective amino and hydroxy-substituted triazine linkers.