Magnetically separable Fe3O4/graphene oxide nanocomposite: An efficient heterogenous catalyst for spirooxindole derivatives synthesis

Abstract

Heterocyclic compounds such as spirooxindole, with five rings containing nitrogen, have an important role in the realm of medicine. This study aims to synthesize the spirooxindole derivative compounds using Fe3O4/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite as the catalyst. The GO sample was synthesized by Hummers' method, followed by the insertion of Fe3O4 into the graphene oxide layers by the co-precipitation method. Both XRD and FTIR analyses reveal that GO and Fe3O4/GO samples have been successfully formed. SEM-EDX micrograph supported by TEM image indicates that the Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the composite have excellent dispersibility, attributable to the existence of the GO sheets. The evaluation of the ability of Fe3O4/GO as a catalyst in the synthesis of spirooxindole derivatives was carried out by the one-pot three-component method. The reaction yield shows that Fe3O4/GO was a suitable and reusable catalyst in this reaction.