Immobilized VOsalpr on modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles as a magnetically separable epoxidation catalyst

Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were prepared and modified with chloropropyl trimethoxysilane (Cl-PTMS). The N,N′-bis(3-salicylidenaminopropyl)amine (salpr) Schiff base ligand was then immobilized on modified Fe₃O₄, which was followed by the addition of VOSO₄ in order to complex it with immobilized sa0lpr. The obtained nanocatalyst designated as VO(Salpr)/SCMNPs was characterized by FT–IR, XRD, SEM, TEM, and VSM techniques. It was found that VO(salpr)/SCMNPs successfully catalyze the epoxidation of allyl alcohols, such as limonene, 1-octene-3-ol, trans-2-hexene-1-ol and geraniol with 50 to 100% conversion and 62 to 100% selectivity with tert-butylhydroperoxide (TBHP). The study of this catalyst's stability and reusability revealed that VO(salpr)/SCMNPs behaves heterogeneously with no desorption during the course of the epoxidation reactions.