One pot synthesis of a novel bioactive compound employing a deep eutectic solvent grafted MWCNT system in a...

Heterogeneous catalysis is considered as a suitable alternative to conventional organic synthesis for the selective production of industrially significant fine chemicals. The development of supported catalysts by dispersing minimal quantities of active component can reduce production costs and enhance energy efficiency. The current work reports the development of Deep eutectic solvent (DES) modified multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) system and its activity in the Knoevenagel condensation reaction. The catalytic system was developed by grinding a very low concentration (0.83mM) of DES with desired amount of MWCNT. Various interactions of the three component DES with MWCNT were analysed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The reaction favoured a novel compound selectively with yield around 92% in solvent free medium. Anti-cancerous studies of the synthesized compound demonstrated a strong IC₅₀ value of 15.62 µg/ml and a statistically calculated IC₅₀ value of 9.8 µg/ml. Acridine orange/ Ethidium Bromide (AO/EB) dual fluorescence staining studies revealed that the test ligand with lowest concentration of 7.8 µg/ml was capable to induce apoptosis in 100% of MCF-7 cells. It is evident from the studies that the synthesized compound is a strong anticancer agent with potential to be investigated further.