Entangled Cu Complex Over Fe3O4@SiO2 as Supported Catalyst for Synthesis of Alkenyl Nitriles with Aromatic Aldehydes and Acetonitrile

Abstract

An efficient, green and practical approach to synthesize alkenyl nitriles using new supported Cu(II) catalyst via aromatic aldehydes and acetonitrile was developed. The novel catalyst was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM/EDX, TEM, TGA and VSM. Interestingly, the catalyst was found to be active for synthesis of alkenyl nitriles, which were readily obtained in good yields under mild conditions. But most importantly, the original catalyst could be conveniently recovered and recycled from the reaction system by applying an external magnet and reused in four cycles without significant loss in catalytic activity.