Heterogeneous synthesis of tetrahydroquinoline derivatives via cascade Povarov reaction catalyzed by sulfonic acid functionalized metal‐organic frameworks

Abstract We report a facile synthesis of tetrahydroquinoline derivatives via heterogeneous cascade Povarov reaction catalyzed by sulfonic acid functionalized metal‐organic frameworks (MIL‒101(Cr)‒SO3H). The porous MIL‒101(Cr)‒SO3H demonstrates superior catalytic activities and stabilities for this reaction in comparison either to homogeneous sulfonic acids or heterogeneous sulfonic acid resins. Experimental investigations reveal that the high catalytic performance is attributed to the cooperative action of dual Lewis‐ and Brønsted acid sites within the pores of MIL‒101(Cr)‒SO3H. In addition, this reaction proceeds smoothly at room temperature with a broad substrate scope, which provides an alternative approach in the construction of tetrahydroquinoline skeletons.