Magnetic nanoparticles coated with a chitosan anchored Schiff base complex of nickel(II) as an effective, reusable catalyst for one‑pot synthesis of spirolactones

Abstract

A simple, highly versatile and efficient synthesis of spirolactones is achieved through the three components, one-pot reaction of 5-chloroisatin, different primary amines, and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate, using Fe3O4@ CS-Schiff base Ni as a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst. The catalyst can be recovered for subsequent reactions and reused for at least five rounds without any appreciable loss of activity. The core–shell structure and the composition of the magnetic nanocatalyst were characterized by physical and spectroscopic techniques.