A practical and highly efficient synthesis of densely functionalized nicotinonitrile derivatives catalyzed by zinc oxide‐decorated superparamagnetic silica attached to graphene oxide nanocomposite

Zinc oxide‐decorated superparamagnetic silica attached to graphene oxide (Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/PTS‐GO‐ZnO), as a novel nanocomposite, was designed, and its core‐shell structure was appropriately characterized by different spectroscopy or microscopy methods and thermal techniques as well as measuring of its porosity and magnetic properties. The catalytic activity of Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/PTS‐GO‐ZnO, as a reusable heterogeneous catalyst, was investigated for efficient one‐pot multi‐component synthesis of medicinally important functionalized 2‐amino‐6‐(2‐oxo‐2H‐chromen‐3‐yl)‐4‐arylnicotinonitrile derivatives. The significant features of the present procedure are mild reaction conditions, low loading of the catalyst, high to quantitative yields of the desired products, avoiding the use of toxic heavy metals or solvents, simple isolation and purification of the products, and stability as well as reusability of the catalyst after at least six consecutive runs.     

Cellulose stabilized Fe3O4 and carboxylate-imidazole and Co-based MOF growth as an exceptional catalyst for the Knoevenagel reaction

In this study, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were functionalized with cellulose, and then hybridized with cobalt (II)-based metal-organic framework (Co-MOF) containing carboxylate and imidazole functionalities. FTIR, XRD, FE-SEM, TEM, BET, EDX, VSM and STA analyses were used to characterize the synthesized samples. The resultant Fe₃O₄/cellulose/Co-MOF nanocomposite was applied efficiently as a powerful and economic heterogeneous catalyst in the condensation of a variety of different aromatic aldehydes with malononitrile under solvent-free conditions at room temperature for 10 min and offered the corresponding coupling products in high yields. The catalyst could be straightforwardly separated by a magnet from the reaction mixture and reused without a noteworthy drop in catalytic activity at least five times. The use of Fe₃O₄/cellulose/Co-MOF catalyst outcomes under mild reaction conditions in very short reaction time, outstanding catalytic activity, high recyclability and an easy work-up process for Knoevenagel condensation.     

Fe3O4/MIL‐101(Fe) nanocomposite as an efficient and recyclable catalyst for Strecker reaction

A highly porous metal‐organic framework, MIL‐101(Fe), was prepared by a solvothermal method in the presence of amino‐modified Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ nanoparticles, in order to achieve Fe₃O₄/MIL‐101(Fe) nanocomposite, which was characterized by XRD, FT‐IR, SEM, TEM, BET, and VSM. This hybrid magnetic nanocomposite was employed as heterogeneous catalyst for α‐amino nitriles synthesis through three‐component condensation reaction of aldehydes (ketones), amines, and trimethylsilyl cyanide in EtOH, at room temperature. The recoverability and reusability was admitted for the heterogeneous magnetic catalyst; no significant reduction of catalytic activity was observed even after five consecutive reaction cycles.     

3-Amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole-functionalized Fe3O4 magnetic nanocomposite as a green and efficient catalyst for synthesis of bis(indolyl)methane derivatives

A core–shell Fe₃O₄@silica magnetic nanocomposite functionalized with 3-amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole (Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/PTS/AMTA) was prepared using Fe₃O₄ with silica layer, and its surface was modified with 3-amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole. The novel synthesized magnetite nanocomposite was characterized using various techniques. The catalytic activity of Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/PTS/AMTA was demonstrated in the synthesis of bis(indolyl)methane derivatives under solvent-free conditions. Some of the bis(indolyl)methane derivatives were synthesized through one-pot, three-component reaction of 1 mol of various benzaldehydes or ketones with 2 mol of indole in the presence of Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/PTS/AMTA in good to excellent isolated yields. In addition, the catalyst could be recovered and used for several reaction runs without loss of catalytic activity. The stability of recycled catalyst was investigated. This method has some advantages including experimental simplicity, good to excellent yields, solvent-free conditions and stability and reusability of the catalyst.     

Sulfuric acid heterogenized on magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles: A new and efficient magnetically reusable catalyst for condensation reactions

Immobilized sulfuric acid on magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ MNPs‐OSO₃H) as a new solid acid nanocomposite was successfully synthesized and its catalytic activity in a series of condensation reactions was studied. High catalytic activity, simple separation from reaction mixture by an external magnet and good reusability are several eco‐friendly advantages of this catalytic system. It is noteworthy that this catalytic system is applicable to a wide range of spectrum of aromatic aldehydes, and the desired products were obtained in good to excellent yields under mild conditions. The use of ecofriendly solvents makes also this synthetic protocol ideal and fascinating from the environmental point of view.     

Synthesis of a highly active amino‐functionalized Fe3O4@SiO2/APTS/Ru magnetic nanocomposite catalyst for hydrogenation reactions

An amino‐functionalized silica‐coated Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/APTS) was synthesized. The Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ microspheres possessed a well‐defined core–shell structure, uniform sizes and high magnetization. An immobilized ruthenium nanoparticle catalyst (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/APTS/Ru) was obtained after coordination and reduction of Ru³⁺ on the Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/APTS nanocomposite. The Ru nanoparticles were not only ultra‐small with nearly monodisperse sizes but also had strong affinity with the surface of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/APTS. The obtained catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic performance for the hydrogenation of a variety of aromatic nitro compounds, even at room temperature. Moreover, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/APTS/Ru was easily recovered using a magnetic field and directly reused for at least five cycles without significant loss of its activity.     

Magnetically separable g‐C3N4 hybrid nanocomposite: Highly efficient and eco‐friendly recyclable catalyst for one‐pot synthesis of α‐aminonitriles

A magnetically separable graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposite (Fe₃O₄/g‐C₃N₄) as a catalyst for the three‐component condensation reactions of carbonyl compounds, amines and trimethylsilylcyanide was thoroughly investigated. The reaction of these three components was found to be efficient, economical and green and took place in the presence of a catalytic amount of the magnetically separable catalyst to yield the corresponding α‐aminonitriles in good to excellent yields. The prepared nanocomposite was characterized using scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies. The nanocomposite was also found to be reusable could be recovered easily and reused several times without distinct deterioration in its catalytic activity.     

Fe3O4-Graphene oxide nanocomposite: Synthesis of 5-sulfanyl tetrazole derivatives of alkyls,indoles, and pyrroles

In this work, the use of Fe₃O₄/geraphene oxide nanocomposite as an efficient catalyst for the synthesis of 5-sulfanyltetrazole derivatives of indoles, pyrroles, and 5-alkyl sulfanyltetrazoles is described. These compounds are readily obtained by the reaction of the starting heterocycles indoles, N-aryl pyrroles, alkyl thiocyanates, and trimethylsilyl azide in good to excellent yields. Moreover, Fe₃O₄/GO nanocomposite could be easily separated from the reaction mixtures by an external permanent magnet and reused at least six times continuously without significant reduction in the product yield and its catalytic activity.     

Nanoscale Magnetic Stirring Bars for Heterogeneous Catalysis in Microscopic Systems

Nanometer‐sized magnetic stirring bars containing Pd nanoparticles (denoted as Fe₃O₄‐NC‐PZS‐Pd) for heterogeneous catalysis in microscopic system were prepared through a facile two‐step process. In the hydrogenation of styrene, Fe₃O₄‐NC‐PZS‐Pd showed an activity similar to that of the commercial Pd/C catalyst, but much better stability. In microscopic catalytic systems, Fe₃O₄‐NC‐PZS‐Pd can effectively stir the reaction solution within microdrops to accelerate mass transfer, and displays far better catalytic activity than the commercial Pd/C for the hydrogenation of methylene blue in an array of microdroplets. These results suggested that the Fe₃O₄‐NC‐PZS‐Pd could be used as nanoscale stirring bars in nanoreactors.     

A highly stable and efficient magnetically recoverable and reusable Pd nanocatalyst in aqueous media heterogeneously catalysed Suzuki C–C cross‐coupling reactions

Surface modification of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with triethoxyethylcyanide groups was used for the immobilization of palladium nanoparticles to produce Fe₃O₄/Ethyl‐CN/Pd. The catalyst was characterized using Fourier transform infrared, wavelength‐dispersive X‐ray, energy‐dispersive X‐ray and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopies, field‐emission scanning electron and transmission electron microscopies, and X‐ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometry and inductively coupled plasma analyses. In this fabrication, cyano groups played an important role as a capping agent. The catalytic behaviour of Fe₃O₄/Ethyl‐CN/Pd nanoparticles was measured in the Suzuki cross‐coupling reaction of various aryl halides (Ar? I, Ar? Br, Ar? Cl) with phenylboronic acid in aqueous phase at room temperature. Interestingly, the novel catalyst could be recovered in a facile manner from the reaction mixture by applying an external magnet device and recycled seven times without any significant loss in activity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fe3O4 MNPs-DETA/Benzyl-Br3: A new magnetically reusable catalyst for the oxidative coupling of thiols

We report a new strategy to immobilize a bromine source on the surface of magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ MNPs-DETA/Benzyl-Br₃) leading to a magnetically recoverable catalyst, which exhibits high catalytic efficiency in oxidative coupling of thiols to the disulfides (89–98%). The Fe₃O₄ MNPs-DETA/Benzyl-Br₃ catalyst was fabricated by anchoring 3-chloropropyltrimethoxysilane (CPTMS) on magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, followed with N-benzylation and reaction with bromine in tetrachloridecarbon. The resulting nanocomposite was analyzed by a series of characterization techniques such as FT-IR, SEM, TGA, VSM and XRD. The catalyst could be recovered via magnetic attraction and could be recycled at least 5 times without appreciable decrease in activity.     

Sulfonic acid-functionalized Fe3O4-supported magnetized graphene oxide quantum dots: A novel organic-inorganic nanocomposite as an efficient and recyclable nanocatalyst for the synthesis of dihydropyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole and 4H-chromene derivatives

In this research, the main emphasis has been focused on the preparation of a novel Fe₃O₄-supported propane-1-sulfonic acid-grafted graphene oxide quantum dots (Fe₃O₄@GOQD-O-(propane-1-sulfonic acid)) that it was readily synthesized via a five-step procedure as a hitherto unreported magnetic nanocatalyst. This newly prepared Fe₃O₄@GOQD-O-(propane-1-sulfonic acid) nanocomposite was structurally well-established by different analytical techniques including Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), field emission gun-scanning electron microscope (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analyses. The high catalytic performance of this nanocomposite was exhibited in one-pot synthesis of dihydropyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole and 4H-chromene derivatives under mild conditions. Low reaction times, excellent yields of the products, benignity of the catalyst, easy reaction work-up and magnetic recyclability of the catalyst are the main advantages of the present protocol. Also, our research indicated that the Fe₃O₄@GOQD-O-(propane-1-sulfonic acid) could be reused up to five times without considerable loss of catalytic activity.     

Polyvinyl amine as a modified and grafted shell for Fe3O4 nanoparticles: As a strong solid base catalyst for the synthesis of various dihydropyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole derivatives and the Knoevenagel condensation

In this work, we reported one-step deposition of polyacrylamide on nano-magnetite surface via a simple and in situ polymerization of acryl amide to form n-Fe₃O₄/PAM nanocomposite. The amide (–CONH₂) groups could be converted easily to amine (–NH₂) groups through Hofmann degradation to introduce n-Fe₃O₄/PVAm as a highly efficient heterogeneous base catalyst. The obtained organic-inorganic nanocomposite exhibited high catalytic activity for the solvent-free syntheses of various dihydropyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole derivatives and the Knoevenagel condensation in high to excellent yields and in the following, a plausible mechanism for the synthesis of them has been proposed. Because of the polymer layer coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, the catalyst has many catalytic units, and acceptable thermal stability and recyclability. Titration, FT-IR, SEM, TGA, VSM, and XRD analysis were used for characterization of the catalyst. Also, the nanocomposite can be easily recovered by a magnetic field and reused up to 9 times without distinct deterioration in catalytic activity.     

超声法制备Au/Fe3O4及其催化还原4-硝基苯酚性能

通过简易的超声法以及原位还原法成功制备出了负载型可再生Au/Fe₃O₄催化剂。利用3-氨丙基三乙氧基硅烷（APTES）作为有机桥键,将Au固定在Fe₃O₄的表面,得到单分散磁性Au/Fe₃O₄。Au⁰在氨基的作用下不会团聚,因此具有较高的催化活性及稳定性。XRD、HRTEM、EDS和XPS等测试结果表明Au/Fe₃O₄已被成功制备。将其用于催化还原4-硝基苯酚得到4-氨基苯酚,表现出较高的催化活性,速率常数可达0.225 6 min^-1。重复性实验表明该催化剂具有良好的稳定性,反应9个循环之后,催化还原反应的转化率仍可达到94%。     

Rose‐like Nanocomposite of Fe‐Ni Phosphides/Iron Oxide as Efficient Catalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

In order to accelerate the reaction rate of water splitting, it is of immense importance to develop low‐cost, stable and efficient catalysts. In this study, the facile synthesis of a novel rose‐like nanocomposite catalyst (Ni₂P/Fe₂P/Fe₃O₄) is reported. The synthesis process includes a solvothermal step and a phosphatization step to combine iron oxides and iron‐nickel phosphides. Ni₂P/Fe₂P/Fe₃O₄ performs well in catalyzing oxygen evolution reaction, with a very low overpotential of 365 mV to reach 10 mA cm^?2 current density. The Tafel slope is as low as 59 mV dec^?1. Ni₂P/Fe₂P/Fe₃O₄ has a large double‐layer capacitance that contributes to a high electrochemically active area. Moreover, this catalyst is very stable for long‐term use. Therefore, the Ni₂P/Fe₂P/Fe₃O₄ catalyst has a high potential for use in oxygen evolution reactions.     

Novel ionic liquid supported on Fe3O4 nanoparticles as an efficient catalyst for the synthesis of new chromenes

An efficient procedure for the synthesis of new chromenes by the multicomponent reaction of aldehydes, 4‐hydroxycoumarin and 2‐hydroxynaphthalene‐1,4‐dione in the presence of an ionic liquid supported on Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles is described. The ionic liquid supported on Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles as a magnetic catalyst gives products in high yields. Significant features of this method are: short reaction times, excellent yields, green method and use of an effective catalyst that can be recovered and reused many times without loss of its catalytic activity.     

超声法制备Au/Fe_3O_4及其催化还原4-硝基苯酚性能

通过简易的超声法以及原位还原法成功制备出了负载型可再生Au/Fe_3O_4催化剂。利用3-氨丙基三乙氧基硅烷(APTES)作为有机桥键,将Au固定在Fe_3O_4的表面,得到单分散磁性Au/Fe_3O_4。Au0在氨基的作用下不会团聚,因此具有较高的催化活性及稳定性。XRD、HRTEM、EDS和XPS等测试结果表明Au/Fe_3O_4已被成功制备。将其用于催化还原4-硝基苯酚得到4-氨基苯酚,表现出较高的催化活性,速率常数可达0.225 6 min~(-1)。重复性实验表明该催化剂具有良好的稳定性,反应9个循环之后,催化还原反应的转化率仍可达到94%。     

Mn(III)‐salan/graphene oxide/magnetite nanocomposite as a highly selective catalyst for aerobic epoxidation of olefins

A nanocomposite was synthesized using carbon‐coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle‐decorated reduced graphene oxide as a convenient and efficient supporting material for grafting of a manganese–reduced Schiff base (salan) complex via covalent attachment. The nanocomposite was characterized using X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared and diffuse reflectance UV–visible spectroscopies, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy. It was evaluated as a catalyst for the aerobic epoxidation of olefins in acetonitrile in combination with a sacrificial co‐reductant (isobutyraldehyde). The catalytic performance of the heterogeneous system of the Mn–salan complex is superior to that of the homogeneous one. The catalyst activity strongly depends on the reaction temperature and nature of the solvent. The epoxide yield increases with the nucleophilic character of the olefin. The nanocomposite performs well as an epoxidation catalyst for electron‐rich and conjugated olefins. It can be recovered from the reaction medium by magnetic decantation and reused, maintaining good catalytic activity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Magnetically Separable Catalyst for Synthesis of 1‐Phenoxy‐2‐propanol Via Atom‐economic Reaction

A magnetically separable catalyst Al₂O₃‐MgO/Fe₃O₄ was prepared by Al₂O₃‐MgO supported on magnetic oxide Fe₃O₄ and charactered by FT‐IR, XRD and SEM. The mixed oxides afforded high catalytic activity and selectivity for synthesis of 1‐phenoxy‐2‐propanol from phenol and propylene oxide with 80.3% conversion and 88.1% selectivity to 1‐phenoxy‐2‐propanol. Especially, facile separation of the catalyst by a magnet was obtained and the catalytic performance of the recovered catalyst was unaffected even at the forth run.     

Magnetically recyclable palladium nanoparticles (Fe3O4‐Pd) for oxidative coupling between amides and olefins at room temperature

A convenient method for the synthesis of magnetically recyclable palladium nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄‐Pd) is described. The catalytic application of the Fe₃O₄‐Pd nanoparticles was explored for the first time in oxidative coupling between amides and olefins. p‐Toluenesulfonic acid plays a significant role in the oxidative amidation reaction. The reaction proceeds at room temperature, resulting in (Z)‐enamides under ambient air in the absence of co‐catalyst and ligand. The superparamagnetic nature of Fe₃O₄‐Pd facilitates easy, quantitative recovery of the catalyst from a reaction mixture, and it can be reused for up to three consecutive cycles with a slight decrease in catalytic activity.