Magnetic Ugi-functionalized graphene oxide complexed with copper nanoparticles: Efficient catalyst toward Ullman...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Catalysis

Background:

• Graphene oxide (GO) is a versatile platform for developing advanced materials.
• Functionalization of GO is crucial for creating novel catalysts with enhanced properties.
• Developing efficient and recyclable catalytic systems is essential for sustainable chemistry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the direct synthesis of carboxamide-functionalized graphene oxide (carboxamide-f-GO) for novel nanocatalyst development.
• To create a highly dispersed nanocatalyst by covalently functionalizing GO with a Ugi reaction, followed by coordination with copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) and magnetic nanoparticles.
• To investigate the catalytic activity of the synthesized nanocatalyst in Ullmann cross-coupling reactions.

Main Methods:

• Direct synthesis of carboxamide-f-GO via a one-pot sequential four-component Ugi reaction.
• Coordination of Ugi-ligand decorated GO with Cu NPs and subsequent covering with magnetic nanoparticles.
• Characterization using FT-IR, 1H NMR, XRD, SEM, EDX, DLS, TGA, and AFM.
• Evaluation of catalytic performance in Ullmann cross-coupling reactions using a deep eutectic solvent.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis and characterization of carboxamide-f-GO based nanocatalyst with highly dispersed particles.
• The carboxamido nitrogen in the Ugi-ligand demonstrated high affinity for Cu NPs, enhancing catalytic activity.
• The nanocatalyst efficiently catalyzed the N-arylation of N-heterocycles and aniline derivatives in a deep eutectic solvent, achieving high yields in short reaction times.
• Both the nanocatalyst and the deep eutectic solvent exhibited excellent recyclability over five consecutive runs.

Conclusions:

• A facile and direct strategy for synthesizing carboxamide-f-GO based nanocatalysts was established.
• The designed nanocatalyst demonstrated high efficiency and selectivity in Ullmann cross-coupling reactions.
• The use of a deep eutectic solvent as a green and recyclable medium further enhances the sustainability of the catalytic process.