Fe₃O₄ Nanoparticles as an Efficient and Magnetically Recoverable Catalyst for Friedel–Crafts Acylation Reaction in Solvent-Free Conditions

Abstract

Application of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) as a robust, very efficient, and magnetically recoverable catalyst was investigated in Friedel–Crafts acylation (FCA) of ferrocene and aromatic compounds. This reaction was performed with acid chlorides in solvent-free conditions at room temperature. The catalyst was easily separated by an external magnetic field from the reaction mixture. The separated catalyst was recycled for several consecutive runs without appreciable loss of its catalytic activity.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® to view the free supplemental file.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Keywords:

• Catalyst
• Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles
• Friedel–Crafts acylation
• heterogenous catalysts
• solvent free

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank the Yasouj University Research Council and the Iranian Nanotechnology Initiative Council for financial support.

Notes

^a Isolated yield.

^b Reported from Ref. 8c.

^c Synthesized according to Ref. 10.

^d 0.05 mmol Fe₃O₄ NPs.

^e 0.1 mmol Fe₃O₄ NPs.

^a The reaction was carried out on a 100-mmol scale.