Pulsed laser ablated zeolite nanoparticles: A novel nano-catalyst for the synthesis of 1,8-dioxo-octahydroxanthene and N-aryl-1,8-dioxodecahydroacridine with molecular docking validation

There is an increasing interest in the synthesis of metal nanoparticles (NPs) from bulk metals using pulsed laser ablation in liquids (PLAL), as it offers an easy and simple synthesis route. In this work, zeolite NPs (molecular sieve 4A) were successfully synthesized by the PLAL technique, and characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Data obtained confirm the formation of the crystalline phase of zeolite. The synthesized catalyst (zeolite molecular sieve 4A) was used as an efficient and facile promotor for the synthesis of xanthene and acridine derivatives. Molecular docking of the synthesized compounds was validated using quinone reductase 2 (NQO2) and acridine orange as the ligand, with the synthesized molecules showing good drug-ligand interaction on the active site of NQO2, compared with that of acridine orange.