Synthesis of environmentally friendly, magnetic acid-type calix[4]arene catalyst for obtaining Biginelli adducts

An immobilized p-sulfonic acid calix[4]arene was synthesized on the surface of silica-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Due to the combination of the magnetic recovery and the acid properties, it acted as a robust, safe and environmentally friendly catalyst for the one-pot synthesis of Biginelli adducts under microwave irradiation and solvent-free conditions. A series of Biginelli adducts were obtained in moderate to excellent yields, and most importantly, the catalyst could be easily recovered by an external magnet and reused five times without significant loss of catalytic activity (ca. 80% yield for all reuses using 0.64 mol% of the catalyst). (C) 2019 King Saud University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.