Development of CeO2-ZrO2 bimetallic oxide catalyst for quinoxaline synthesis

In recent years, heterogeneous catalysts have led to environment-friendly transformations with better yields and reusability. Pd, one of the initial metals employed in heterogeneous organic synthesis, suffered from limitations like its high cost. This justifies the need for development of catalysts with abundant, low-cost metals, which has been receiving a lot of attention in the scientific community. In this work, a bimetallic oxide catalyst, CeO2-ZrO2, is synthesized by a sol-gel route. The structure and morphology of the catalyst are investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurements, and temperature-programmed desorption. It is utilized for obtaining quinoxaline derivatives at room temperature. 2,3-Diphenylquinoxaline is obtained via a simple condensation reaction between 1,2-diaminobenzene and 1,2-diketones, catalyzed by CeO2(50)-ZrO2(50) with 87% yield in 15 min. Quinoxalines are known for their biological and therapeutic activities; hence, they are essential molecules. The biological activity of the synthesized quinoxaline derivatives has been evaluated against bacterial and fungal strains.(c) 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.