Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) were successfully prepared and applied in the environmentally friendly transfer hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde to cinnamyl alcohol. This was proved to be a homogeneous reaction in heterogeneous system. The experimental results show that ZIFs have better catalytic performance than nitrate. To overcome the recycling of the catalysts, the hydrophobically modified core–shell structure [email protected]₂-CPTEOS was successfully prepared and hydrogenation took place in this core–shell structure as in a nanoreactor. The reaction rate was enhanced and the active site of the formed metal–N was confined in the core–shell structure nanoreactor. [email protected]₂-CPTEOS presents better catalytic performance and stability. Furthermore, DFT calculation results show that the activation energy barrier of CoN in ZIF-67 is lower than that of metallic Co dissociated from Co(NO₃)₂·6H₂O, which further confirms that introduction of N and thus the formed CoN bond in ZIF-67 presents higher catalytic activity than that of metal Co. Finally, a possible reaction mechanism is proposed.

沸石咪唑盐骨架（ZIFs）已成功制备，并用于环境友好的肉桂醛向肉桂醇的加氢转移中。事实证明，这是异质系统中的均相反应。实验结果表明，ZIFs比硝酸盐具有更好的催化性能。为了克服催化剂的循环利用，成功地制备了疏水改性的核-壳结构[受电子邮件保护] ₂ -CPTEOS，并像纳米反应器一样在该核-壳结构中进行了氢化反应。反应速度加快，形成的金属-N的活性位点限制在核-壳结构纳米反应器中。[电子邮件保护] ₂-CPTEOS具有更好的催化性能和稳定性。此外，DFT计算结果表明，ZIF-67中Co N的活化能垒比从Co（NO ₃）₂ ·6H ₂ O中解离的金属Co的活化能垒低，这进一步证实了N的引入以及由此形成的Co的引入。ZIF-67中的N键比金属Co具有更高的催化活性。最后，提出了一种可能的反应机理。