Design and application of silica-coated magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles immobilized with bis(serinyl)triazine–copper complex as an efficient catalyst for the green synthesis of benzimidazoles
摘要
In this study, a novel and efficient heterogeneous magnetic nanocatalyst was designed and synthesized by immobilizing a bis(serinyl)triazine–copper complex onto silica-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2-BST-Cu). The prepared nanocatalyst was thoroughly characterized using FT-IR, XRD, FE-SEM, EDX, VSM, and TGA analyses, confirming successful coating, functionalization, and uniform dispersion of active sites on the nanostructure. Moreover, the copper loading in the nanocatalyst was determined to be 0.42 mmol/g by ICP analysis. The catalytic activity of this recyclable system was evaluated in the green synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives via the condensation of o-phenylenediamine with aromatic aldehydes at 80 °C under solvent-free conditions. The reactions proceeded efficiently, affording the desired products in high yields (84–97%) within short reaction times (8–35 min). The nanocatalyst could be magnetically separated from the reaction mixture and reused for at least six consecutive cycles without significant loss of activity or copper leaching. Its high catalytic efficiency, ease of recovery, structural stability, and alignment with green chemistry principles highlight the Fe3O4@SiO2-BST-Cu nanocatalyst as a promising platform for sustainable heterocyclic synthesis.
Graphical abstract