An avenue to Chan-Lam N-arylation by Cu(0) nanoparticles immobilized graphitic carbon-nitride oxide surface

Abstract

We report the immobilization of Cu(0) nanoparticles (NPs) with an average size of 7–8 nm on a template-free carbon-nitride oxide surface (g-C3N4O) in water medium. The heterogeneous surface containing Cu(0) NPs offers Lewis basic sites, which facilitate Chan-Lam N-arylation of anilines, azoles and indoles with phenylboronic acids. Good to moderate yields (55–93 %) of synthetically important N-arylanilines, N-aryl-1H-imidazoles, N-aryl-1H-benzimidazoles and N-aryl-1H-indoles are obtained, all of which have wide pharmaceutical applications. The reaction takes place under heterogeneous catalysis and the catalyst can be reused up to five catalytic cycles of the reaction. The stability of Cu(0) on the g-C3N4O surface, utilization of greener solvents for syntheses and extension of scope of Chan-Lam cross-coupling reaction through the introduction of Cu(0) catalysis are some of the significant achievements of this work.