the immobilized copper species on nickel ferrite (nife2o4@cu): a magnetically reusable nanocatalyst for one-pot and quick reductive acetylation of nitroarenes to n-arylacetamides

In this study, a green protocol for synthesis of n-arylacetamides was introduced. magnetically, nanoparticles of the immobilized copper species on nickel ferrite, nife2o4@cu, were synthesized and then characterized using sem, edx, xrd, vsm, icp-oes, bet and xps analyses. the xps analysis approved that the immobilized copper species on nife2o4 only contain cu(0) and its oxide form as cuo. the prepared nanocomposite system represented a perfect catalytic activity toward one-pot and quick reductive acetylation of various nitroarenes to the corresponding n-arylacetamides. all reactions were carried out in a mixture of h2o–etoh (1.5–0.5) within 2–10 min using the combination system of nabh4 and ac2o in a one-pot approach and via a two-step procedure. the utilized cu nanocomposite was magnetically separated from the reaction mixture and reused for 5 consecutive cycles without the significant loss of its catalytic activity.