The immobilized copper species on nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4@Cu): a magnetically reusable nanocatalyst for one-pot and quick reductive acetylation of nitroarenes to N-arylacetamides

Abstract

In this study, a green protocol for synthesis of N-arylacetamides was introduced. Magnetically, nanoparticles of the immobilized copper species on nickel ferrite, NiFe2O4@Cu, were synthesized and then characterized using SEM, EDX, XRD, VSM, ICP-OES, BET and XPS analyses. The XPS analysis approved that the immobilized copper species on NiFe2O4 only contain Cu(0) and its oxide form as CuO. The prepared nanocomposite system represented a perfect catalytic activity toward one-pot and quick reductive acetylation of various nitroarenes to the corresponding N-arylacetamides. All reactions were carried out in a mixture of H2O–EtOH (1.5–0.5) within 2–10 min using the combination system of NaBH4 and Ac2O in a one-pot approach and via a two-step procedure. The utilized Cu nanocomposite was magnetically separated from the reaction mixture and reused for 5 consecutive cycles without the significant loss of its catalytic activity.