Magnetic nanoparticles embedded in pectin‐based as an environmentally friendly recyclable nanocatalyst

Abstract

Today, with the growth and development of human societies, increasing population and industrialization of countries, environmental pollution has increased and old methods of treatment are less responsive and the need to use new technologies to reduce pollution. One of these applications is the use of nanoparticles in the treatment of environmental pollutants. It is a nanoparticle that has dimensions between 1 and 100 mm. By reducing the particle size to less than 10 nm, the specific surface area and consequently their reactivity increases and this feature increases the refining capabilities of nanoparticles. The aim of this study was to describe some of the new properties and applications of catalyst nanoparticles with pectin substrate less than 10 nm in chemical reactions and to investigate the role of these nanoparticles in recent environmental developments, especially in the discussion of catalyst recycling in chemicals reaction. Designing a catalyst that combines the activity, selectivity, simple recovery, and follows the green chemistry instructions is of great importance. In the present study, Fe3O4@Pectin~CPTMS-Imidazole-Cu(II) was synthesized as an efficient and biopolymer-based magnetic catalyst for the oxidation of benzyl alcohols to aldehydes using tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as an oxidant under solvent-free conditions. The catalyst was characterized using FT-IR, XRD, Fe-SEM, and TEM.