High-Efficient Synthesis of Fluorescent Ketazine Derivatives Using Nickel Phosphate Heterogeneous Catalyst

In this study, we report a novel and practical tandem approach for synthesizing symmetric ketazines derived from the reaction of hydrazine hydrate and Acetophenone using nickel phosphate (NiP) as a heterogeneous nano-catalyst for the first time. The catalyst underwent comprehensive characterization using several techniques such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman Spectroscopy, Ultraviolet-visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherm using BET and BJH methods to define their structure and properties. The results demonstrate that the catalyst exhibited a high surface area of 266.10 m²/g and a heterogeneous nano- structure with high stability and reusability. The synthesized ketazines were analysed using Infrared Spectroscopy (IR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Additionally, the fluorescence properties of the ketazines were tested under various conditions, such as different concentrations and solvents. Also, the same molecules were used in the detection of Fe²⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions in water. Notably, significant alterations in the fluorescence properties were observed.