Gadolinium Schiff-base complex on nanocomposite of graphene oxide magnetic nanoparticles as a robust, reusable and chemoselective nanocatalyst in the C–C coupling reactions

Abstract

Graphene is an important phase of carbon, which is easily available and oxidable to graphene oxide with a variety of applications. Therefore in this work, graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized, and further it was magnetized by nickel magnetic nanoparticles. The surface of graphene oxide magnetic nanoparticles (Ni-GO MNPs) was modified with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES). On the other hand, (3,4-bis(−(2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino)phenyl)(phenyl)methanone Schiff-base ligand (bis(HBAPM)) was synthesized using condensation of salicylaldehyde and 3,4-diaminobenzophenone. In the next step, bis(HBAPM) was immobilized on the surface of modified Ni-GO MNPs toward synthesis of immobilized Schiff-base on Ni-GO MNPs (bis(HBAPM)@Ni-GO MNPs) as a heterogeneous Schiff-base ligand. In the final step, the gadolinium catalyst was stabilized on its surface (Gd-bis(HBAPM)@Ni-GO MNPs) as a robust, reusable, efficient, chemoselective, and novel nanocatalyst. Gd-bis(HBAPM)@Ni-GO MNPs were characterized by nitrogen adsorption/desorption, FT-IR, SEM imaging, EDS analysis, WDX analysis, XRD, and VSM analysis. After the characterization of Gd-bis(HBAPM)@Ni-GO MNPs, its catalytic performance was employed as a highly practical, retrievable, stable, and hybrid organic–inorganic catalyst in the carbon–carbon coupling of the Suzuki reaction. Due to the recoverability and heterogeneous nature of Gd-bis(HBAPM)@Ni-GO MNPs, it can recycled again for 5 runs.