A manganese Schiff base complex immobilized on copper–ferrite magnetic nanoparticles as an efficient and recyclable nanocatalyst for selective oxidation of alcohols

Abstract

A magnetically recoverable nanocatalyst was synthesized by covalent binding of a Schiff base ligand, namely N,N′-bis(Salicylidene)-1,3-diaminopropane-2-ol (H2salpn), onto the surface of silica-coated magnetic CuFe2O4 nanoparticles, followed by complexation with MnCl2. The resulting core–shell nanoparticles were characterized by spectroscopic and microscopic methods, including FTIR, XRD, VSM, TGA elemental analysis, TEM, and SEM. The Mn content was determined by ICP analysis. The nanoparticles were investigated as a catalyst for the selective oxidation of alcohols to the corresponding carbonyl compounds with tertiary-butyl hydrogen peroxide. The catalyst can be magnetically separated for reuse, with no noticeable loss of activity in subsequent reaction cycles. FTIR, VSM, and leaching experiments after three successive cycles confirmed that the catalyst was strongly anchored to the magnetic nanoparticles. A suitable mechanism for the reaction is proposed.