Chemoselective and ligand-free synthesis of diaryl ethers in aqueous medium using recyclable alumina-supported nickel nanoparticles

An economical and eco-compatible ligand-free protocol for the synthesis of diaryl ethers has been developed using easily accessible alumina-supported nickel nanoparticles as a stable recyclable heterogeneous catalyst in aqueous medium along with a surfactant (SDS) and a mild base (K2CO3). Various sensitive functional groups like allyl, alkoxycarbonyl, formyl, oxo, chloro, bromo, amine and nitro were tolerated in the aforesaid method. Excellent chemoselectivity was demonstrated through competition experiments.