l-Arg@ZY-Fe3O4 mesoporous nanomaterial: a novel magnetically recoverable bio-organocatalyst for three-component synthesis of 4H-pyran and -chromene derivatives

Abstract

In this project, a novel hybrid nanostructure L-arginine-modified magnetic zeolite-NaY (Arg@zeolite-Y-Fe₃O₄) was successfully designed and synthesized. It was further characterized using standard analytical techniques including FT-IR, FE-SEM, EDX, BET, TEM, XRD, VSM and TGA. The resulting magnetic mesoporous material was employed as a highly active organocatalyst for the synthesis of chromene analogues via a one-pot, three-component reaction between aldehydes, malononitrile and either phenols or active methylene reagents (e.g., dimedone) under aqueous conditions. This nanocatalyst offers several notable advantages: facile and cost-effective synthesis, environmentally friendly reaction conditions, excellent catalytic performance, and easy magnetic separation. Moreover, it demonstrates remarkable recyclability with minimal loss of activity over multiple cycles. The use of water as a green solvent, along with high product yields and benign operational conditions, highlights the sustainable and practical nature of this catalytic system.