<p>Synthesis of 2-aroylbenzofuran derivatives through Rap–Stoermer reaction with condensation of substituted salicylaldehyde and substituted phenacyl bromides in the presence of magnetic nanoparticles sodium aluminate 60 wt% (MNPs-60). The catalyst was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy and elemental mapping, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Zeta potential techniques are used to determine the particle size and stability of the MNPs-60. The catalyst can be easily recovered from the reaction mixture by applying an external magnetic field. This catalyst is stable and can be recycled ten times without significant loss of their catalytic activity. High yields of product in a short experimental time and easy workup are other advantages of the present method. Characterization of the synthesized compounds was performed by using spectroscopic methods such as ATR-FTIR, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR and HRMS.</p> Graphical abstract <p>The results from synthesis of 2-aroylbenzofuran derivatives finding applications in pharmaceuticals and through Rap–Stoermer reaction with condensation of substituted salicylaldehyde and substituted phenacyl bromides in the presence of magnetic nanoparticles sodium aluminate 60 wt%. The relationship between the catalyst properties and the performance is discussed. The catalyst was characterized and can be easily recovered from the reaction mixture by applying an external magnetic field.</p>