Biocompatible Nanocatalysts by Green Synthesis for Sustainable Organic Transformations

Abstract

Development of catalytic systems which demonstrate high efficiency and are compatible with principles of
sustainable chemistry is the subject of extensive research. In this study, green-synthesized biocompatible
nanocatalysts were explored as an efficient and eco-friendly system for sustainable organic transformations.
The catalytic performance was evaluated using model reduction, oxidation, C–C coupling and
multicomponent condensation reactions. The reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol was used as the
model reaction for quantitative assessment of catalytic activity. The catalytic performance was evaluated in
terms of the conversion, yield, selectivity, apparent rate constant, turnover number, turnover frequency,
catalyst recovery and recyclability. It was found that the catalyst loading, solvent, temperature and reaction
time significantly impact the catalytic performance. The optimized conditions, which included the amount
of catalyst of approx. 20 mg, water as a solvent, temperature of 60 °C and reaction time of 20 min, enabled
achieving the conversion of 98% and the yield of 96% with 99% selectivity. The catalyst could be
recovered with an efficiency of above 95% and demonstrated good performance upon recycling. The results
of this study confirm that the nanocatalysts prepared by green synthesis can be an attractive option for
sustainable organic transformations due to their high catalytic activity and compatibility with eco-friendly
conditions.