Silver nanoparticles immobilized onto poly(4‐vinylpyridine)‐functionalized magnetic nanoparticles: A robust magnetically recyclable catalyst for oxidant‐free alcohol dehydrogenation

A heterogeneous and recyclable catalyst with a high loading of silver nanoparticles was synthesized via the silver nanoparticles being supported onto the surface of magnetic nanoparticles coated with poly(4‐vinylpyridine). The synthesized catalyst was used in the dehydrogenation of alcohols to corresponding carbonyl compounds. A broad diversity of alcohols was converted into their corresponding carbonyl compounds in excellent yields. The catalyst was easily recovered by applying an external magnetic field and reused for seven reaction cycles without considerable loss of activity. The catalyst was fully characterized using various techniques.     

Ni@Pd nanoparticles supported on ionic liquid‐functionalized KCC‐1 as robust and recyclable nanocatalysts for cycloaddition of propargylic amines and CO2

Novel heterogeneous catalyst systems comprised of a fibrous nanosilica‐supported nano‐Ni@Pd‐based ionic liquid (KCC‐1/IL/Ni@Pd) are described for the cyclization of propargylic amines with CO₂ to provide 2‐oxazolidinones. KCC‐1 with high surface area was functionalized with IL acting as a robust anchor so that the nano‐Ni@Pd was well dispersed on the fibres of the KCC‐1 microspheres, without aggregation. Because of the amplification effect of IL, high loading capacities of the nanocatalysts were achieved. The reported synthesis includes several advantages like solvent‐free conditions, operational simplicity, short reaction times, environmentally benign reaction conditions, cost effectiveness, high atom economy and excellent yields, making it a genuinely green protocol.     

Pd@tetrahedral hollow magnetic nanoparticles coated with N‐doped porous carbon as an efficient catalyst for hydrogenation of nitroarenes

Hollow magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with tetrahedral morphology were synthesized and then covered by a shell prepared by coating with melamine–formaldehyde followed by the introduction of glucose‐derived carbon. Subsequently, Pd nanoparticles were immobilized and the core–shell nanocomposite was carbonized. The obtained magnetic catalyst was successfully applied for the hydrogenation of nitroarenes in aqueous media. To investigate the effects of the morphology of MNPs, the nature of carbon shell, and the order of incorporation of Pd nanoparticles, several control catalysts, including the MNPs with different morphologies (disc‐like and cylinder); MNPs coated with different shells (sole glucose‐derived carbon or melamine–formaldehyde carbon shell); and a nanocomposite, in which Pd was immobilized after carbonization, were prepared and examined as catalyst for the model reaction. To justify the observed different catalytic activities of the catalysts, their Pd loadings, leaching, and specific surface areas were compared. The results confirmed that tetrahedral MNPs coated with porous N‐rich carbon shell exhibited the best catalytic activity. The high catalytic activity of this catalyst was attributed to its high surface area and the interaction of N‐rich shell with Pd nanoparticles that led to the higher Pd loading and suppressed Pd leaching.     

A versatile supported silver for heterogeneously catalysed processes: Synthesis of 3‐Acyloxylindolines solvent‐free conditions

We have found that fibrous nanosilica (KCC‐1) can used as a excellent support for the synthesis of highly sparse nanoparticles and has high surface area that was functionalized with Tetrathia‐azacyclopentadecane (TTACP) groups acting as the strong performers so that the Ag nanoparticles were well‐dispersed without aggregation on the fibers of the KCC‐1 microspheres (KCC‐1/TTACP/Ag). We enthusiasm to report one‐pot synthesis of 3‐Acyloxylindolines for first time from N‐tosyl‐2‐vinylaniline, and benzoic acid in the presence of KCC‐1/TTACP/Ag as a catalyst.     

Mechanistic investigation of imine formation in ruthenium‐catalyzed N‐alkylation of amines with alcohols

Imines are observed frequently in ruthenium‐catalyzed N‐alkylation of amines with alcohols. Herein, nitrogen–phosphine functionalized carbene ligands were developed and used in ruthenium‐catalyzed N‐alkylation to explore the mechanism of imine formation. The results showed that strongly electron‐donating ligands were beneficial for imine formation and alcohol dehydrogenation to generate acid. In addition, with an increase of electron density of nitrogen atom in substituted amines, the yield of imines in N‐alkylation was improved. At the same time, with electron‐rich imines as substrates, the transfer hydrogenation of imines became difficult. It is suggested that strongly electron‐donating ligands and substrates caused an increase of electron density on the ruthenium center, which resulted in the elimination of hydrogen atoms in active species [LRuH₂] as hydrogen gas rather than transfer onto the imine coordinated with the ruthenium center.     

In situ green synthesis of Cu‐Ni bimetallic nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide as an effective and recyclable catalyst for the synthesis of N‐benzyl‐N‐aryl‐5‐amino‐1H‐tetrazoles

In the present work, for the first time we have designed a novel approach for the synthesis of N‐benzyl‐N‐aryl‐5‐amino‐1H‐tetrazoles using reduced graphene oxide (rGO) decorated with Cu‐Ni bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs). In situ synthesis of Cu/Ni/rGO nanocomposite was performed by a cost efficient, surfactant‐free and environmentally benign method using Crataegus azarolus var. aronia L. leaf extract as a stabilizing and reducing agent. Phytochemicals present in the extract can be used to reduce Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions and GO to Cu NPs, Ni NPs and rGO, respectively. Analyses by means of FT‐IR, UV–Vis, EDS, TEM, FESEM, XRD and elemental mapping confirmed the Cu/Ni/rGO formation and also FT‐IR, NMR, and mass spectroscopy as well as elemental analysis were used to characterize the tetrazoles. The Cu/Ni/rGO nanocomposite showed the superior catalytic activity for the synthesis of N‐benzyl‐N‐aryl‐5‐amino‐1H‐tetrazoles within a short reaction time and high yields. Furthermore, this protocol eliminates the need to handle HN₃.     

One‐pot synthesis of polysubstituted pyrrolidinones using novel magnetic nanoparticles as an efficient and reusable catalyst

7‐Aminonaphthalene‐1,3‐disulfonic acid‐functionalized magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles efficiently catalyse the one‐pot multi‐component synthesis of substituted 3‐pyrrolin‐2‐ones without using any other harmful organic reagents. High catalytic activity, ease of recovery, use of an external magnetic field and capability of being reused many times without significant loss of its catalytic activity are additional eco‐friendly properties of this catalytic system. Compared to other methods, our protocol has various advantages such as short reaction times, low catalyst loading, high yields, easy magnetic separation and reusability of the catalyst.     

Electroless‐coated magnetic three‐dimensional graphene with silver nanoparticles used for the determination of pesticides in fruit samples

A new type of adsorbent composed of magnetic three‐dimensional graphene coated with silver nanoparticles was synthesized by an electroless technique and used in the magnetic solid‐phase extraction of selected pesticides (fenitrothion, chlorpyrifos, and hexaconazole) before gas chromatography with a micro‐electron capture detector. The adsorbent was characterized using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometry, and field‐emission scanning electron microscopy. The important extraction parameters such as pH, adsorbent dose, extraction time, and desorption conditions were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the analytical figures of merit were obtained as: linear dynamic range of 0.1–5 ng/g with determination coefficients of 0.991–0.996; limit of detection of 0.07–0.13 ng/g; limit of quantification of 0.242–0.448 ng/g; and the intraday and interday relative standard deviations (C = 5 ng/g, n = 3) were 3.8–8.7 and 6.6–8.9%, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied for analysis of the selected pesticides in tomato and grape with extraction recoveries in the range of 72.8–109.6%.     

Cobalt supported on dendronized magnetic nanoparticles: A new highly efficient and recyclable catalyst for the Mizoroki–Heck cross‐coupling reaction

Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) is one of the most interesting types of hyperbranched polymers that carry a large number of amino groups on its surface. PAMAM has gained significant attention from synthetic organic chemists due to its structural characteristics, controllable structure, inner porosity, and ability to trap a wide range of ions and molecules. So, in this work, the PAMAM dendrimer was synthesized, grafted onto the surface of magnetite nanoparticles, and the resulting hybrid nanoparticles were then employed as suitable host for immobilizing cobalt nanoparticles. The newly developed catalyst was well characterized by Fourier transform‐infrared, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, field emission‐scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, element mapping and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis. The efficiency of the as‐prepared nanocatalyst was evaluated for the Mizoroki–Heck cross‐coupling reactions. The MNP@PAMAM‐Co represented perfect catalytic efficiency and high selectivity for the Mizoroki–Heck cross‐coupling reaction compared with previously reported catalysts. The catalyst separation from the reaction mixture was easily achieved with the assistance of an external magnetic field, and its recycling was also investigated for five consecutive runs. Hot filtration confirmed no leaching of the active metal during the Heck coupling.     

Resin‐supported palladium nanoparticles as recyclable catalyst for the hydrodechlorination of chloroarenes and polychlorinated biphenyls

This study focuses on the hydrodechlorination of chlorinated arenes as well as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) utilizing a resin‐supported Pd(0) catalyst. Bearing in mind the dangers associated with toxic PCBs, treatment of the remnants of industrial wastes containing PCB congeners is indispensable. One such method is reductive hydrodechlorination. Instead of utilizing traditional sources of hydrogen, ammonium formate is used for in situ hydrogen generation. Moreover, palladium nanoparticles are supported on an anionic exchange resin which makes the process recyclable with a negligible change of yield after recycling experiments. The catalyst is demonstrated in the hydrodechlorination of a wide range of chlorinated compounds and PCB congeners including aroclors 1242, 1248 and 1254. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Green synthesis of new pyrimido[4,5‐d]pyrimidine derivatives using 7‐aminonaphthalene‐1,3‐disulfonic acid‐functionalized magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles as catalyst

We, herein, describe a novel, simple, efficient and one‐pot multi‐component procedure for the synthesis of substituted pyrimido[4,5‐d]pyrimidines via reaction of N,N‐dimethyl‐6‐amino uracil, isothiocyanate and aromatic aldehydes promoted by 7‐aminonaphthalene‐1,3‐disulfonic acid (ANDSA)‐functionalized magnetic Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ in water as solvent and without using any other harmful organic reagents. Compared with other reactions, using these organic–inorganic hybrid heterogeneous catalysts can help us to achieve a green procedure, high catalytic activity, easy recovery with an external magnetic field, and short reaction times.     

Nickel−Copper bimetallic mesoporous nanoparticles: As an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for N‐alkylation of amines with alcohols

A bimetallic catalyst (Ni/Cu‐MCM‐41) is prepared via co‐condensation method. The latter is characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR), X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and nitrogen adsorption–desorption analysis. Catalytic performance of Ni/Cu‐MCM‐41 is probed in N‐alkylation of amines with alcohols through a hydrogen autotransfer process. Noteworthy, this catalytic system appears very efficient for synthesis of a range of secondary and tertiary amines in good to excellent isolated yields. Moreover, the catalyst is successfully recovered and reused four times without notable decrease in its activity.     

PdCu nanoparticles supported on graphene: an efficient and recyclable catalyst for reduction of nitroarenes

Graphene supported PdCu bimetallic nanoparticles were synthesized through coreduction of PdCl₂ and CuCl₂·H₂O. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed to characterize the structures. The complex could be used as an efficient catalyst for reduction of nitroarenes to the corresponding anilines in the presence of NaBH₄ and recycled up to six runs without significant loss of activity.     

Dendrimer‐encapsulated Cu(Π) nanoparticles immobilized on superparamagnetic Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles as a novel recyclable catalyst for N‐arylation of nitrogen heterocycles and green synthesis of 5‐substituted 1H‐tetrazoles

In this study, dendrimer‐encapsulated Cu(Π) nanoparticles immobilized on superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ nanoparticles were prepared via a multistep‐synthesis. Then, the synthesized composite was fully characterized by various techniques such as fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV‐vis spectroscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and vibration sample magnetometer (VSM). From the information gained by FE‐SEM and TEM studies it can be inferred that the particles are mostly spherical in shape and have an average size of 50 nm. Also, the amount of Cu is determined to be 0.51 mmol/g in the catalyst by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analyzer. This magnetic nano‐compound has been successfully applied as a highly efficient, magnetically recoverable and stable catalyst for N‐arylation of nitrogen heterocycles with aryl halides (I, Br) and arylboronic acids without using external ligands or additives. The catalyst was also employed in a one‐pot, three‐component reaction for the efficient and green synthesis of 5‐substituted 1H‐tetrazoles using various aldehydes, hydroxylamine hydrochloride and sodium azide in water. The magnetic catalyst can be easily separated by an external magnet bar and is recycled seven times without significant loss of its activity.     

A capable cobalt nano‐catalyst for the N‐formylation of various amines and its biological activity studies

The Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ MNPs) were modified with 1,10‐phenanthroline‐5,6‐diol and the relevant Co complex (Fe₃O₄@Phendiol@Co) synthesized as a nano‐magnetic heterogeneous catalyst to be used for the N ‐formylation of various amines at room temperature under solvent‐free conditions. Also, in order to find the better concept of the catalyst role, the N ‐formylation reaction was carried out by the use of ultrasound irradiation in the absence of the Co nano‐catalyst and the results were compared. The catalyst characterized by different methods such as the elemental analysis (CHN), ICP, FT‐IR, XRD, EDX, SEM, TEM, TG‐DTA, VSM and XPS. In addition, the antioxidant and the antibacterial activities of the Fe₃O₄@Phendiol@Co nano‐catalyst and its Phendiol ligand were in vitro screened by 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and disc diffusion methods. Results showed that they possess strong antioxidant activity (IC₅₀; 0.182 ± 0.006 mg/ml) and good antibacterial potential in comparison to standards.     

Determination of trace amounts of aromatic amines after magnetic solid‐phase extraction using silver‐modified Fe3O4/graphene nanocomposite

In this work, a fast and simple magnetic dispersive solid phase extraction methodology was developed utilizing Ag@magnetite nanoparticles@graphene nanocomposite as an efficient magnetic nanosorbent for preconcentration and determine of five aromatic amines in water samples. The sorbent was characterized by diverse characterization techniques. After the extraction, high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV detection was utilized to analysis the aromatic amines. The effects of different factors on the extraction process were studied thoroughly via design of experiment and desirability function. Detection limits and linear dynamic ranges were obtained in the range of 0.10–0.20 and 0.3–300 μg/L, respectively. The relative standard deviations (n = 5) were in the range of 4.3–6.5%. Eventually, the method was employed for determination of target aromatic amines in various water samples.