Preparation and application of a magnetic organic-inorganic hybrid nanocatalyst for the synthesis of α-aminonitriles

Abstract

This article is the first report of the catalytic application of copper ferrite-coated chitosan in organic reactions as a bio-nanocomposite. CuFe2O4/chitosan was used as a hybrid nanocatalyst for the multicomponent Strecker synthesis of α-aminonitriles by using aryl aldehydes, trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN) and aromatic amines at room temperature in ethanol as a green solvent. The catalyst was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses. The nanocatalyst was recovered and reused several times without significant loss of catalytic activity. The organic products were obtained easily without need for column chromatography in good-to-excellent yields. A facile and highly efficient synthesis of α-aminonitriles is reported via a one-pot threecomponent condensation reaction of aryl aldehydes, trimethylsilyl cyanide and aniline at room temperature in the presence of CuFe2O4/chitosan as a hybrid nanocatalyst in ethanol as a green solvent.