Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles–functionalized Cu(II) Schiff base complex with an imidazolium moiety as an efficient and eco‐friendly bifunctional magnetically recoverable catalyst for the Strecker synthesis in aqueous media at room temperature

Abstract

Cu(II) Schiff base complex supported on Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles was employed as a magnetic nanocatalyst (nanocomposite) with a phase transfer functionality for the one‐pot preparation of α‐aminonitriles (Strecker reaction). The desired α‐aminonitriles were obtained from the reaction of aromatic or aliphatic aldehydes, aniline or benzyl amine, NaCN, and 1.6 mol% of the catalyst in water at room temperature and good to excellent yields were obtained for all substrates. The catalyst was characterized analytically and instrumentally including Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric, nuclear magnetic resonance, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy, vibrating‐sample magnetometry analysis, dynamic light scattering, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy analyses. The reaction mechanism was investigated, in which the performance of the catalyst as a phase transition factor seems to be probable. The catalyst showed high activity, high turnover frequency (TOF)s, significant selectivity, and fast performance toward the Strecker synthesis. The nanocatalyst can be readily and quickly separated from the reaction mixture with an external magnet and can be reused for at least seven successive reaction cycles without significant reduction in efficiency.