Copper(II)-complex functionalized magnetite nanoparticles: a highly efficient heterogeneous nanocatalyst for the synthesis of 5-arylidenthiazolidine-2,4-diones and 5-arylidene-2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one

Abstract

Magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) have proved to be a useful support for heterogeneous catalysis. We have synthesized Fe3O4 MNPs functionalized with a copper(II) complex, and tested the resulting material as a heterogeneous nanocatalyst. The catalyst was tested for aldol condensation reactions between aliphatic/aromatic aldehydes and rhodanine or thiazolidine-2,4-dione (TZD) derivatives under reflux in ethanol, giving the target products in high yield. Environmentally benign chemistry, short reaction times, simple work-up, excellent yields, and the reusability of the new nanocatalyst are beneficial features of the present study. The nanocatalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometery, thermogravimetry, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray analyses. The data showed that the magnetic nanoparticles are super-paramagnetic with a size range of 10–20 nm.