Cu@SB-MCM-41 composite as an efficient and recyclable nanocatalyst for the synthesis of polyhydroquinoline derivatives via unsymmetrical Hantzsch reaction

Abstract

In this paper, a novel Schiff-base/copper complex containing ordered mesoporous silica (Cu@SB-MCM-41) material is synthesized, characterized and its catalytic application is investigated in the one-pot synthesis of polyhydroquinolines through the Hantzsch reaction. Cu@SB-MCM-41 nanocatalyst was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller theory (BET), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This catalyst demonstrated high performance to prepare of a set of different derivatives of polyhydroquinolines under moderate reaction conditions with short reaction times. This catalyst was effectively recovered and reused several times without an important decrease in its catalytic activity.