Functionalization of Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 nanoparticles with Cu(i)-thiosemicarbazone complex as a robust and efficient heterogeneous nanocatalyst for N -arylation of N-heterocycles with aryl halides.

In this research, the functionalized silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles with Cu(i)-thiosemicarbazone complex (Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -[CuL]) has been designed and synthesized as a magnetically retrievable nanocatalyst. Different techniques were employed to characterize the structure of Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -[CuL] comprising FT-IR, FE-SEM, TEM, DLS, XRD, EDX, TGA, AAS, and VSM analysis. The catalytic performance of Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -[CuL] was perused in Ullmann-type N -arylation of nucleobases, xanthines, and other N-heterocycles with diverse aryl halides which acquired the desired N -aryl products in good to excellent yields. Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -[CuL] is a thermal and chemical stable, easy to prepare and recyclable, inexpensive, and ecofriendly catalyst that needs no additional additive or ligand as promoters. This catalyst could be separated without difficulty by a simple magnet and reused for at least seven sequential runs without a significant decline in its catalytic performance.