Design and synthesis of nanocrystalline MnFe2O4-modified natural clinoptilolite and their catalytic application in chalcone and pyridine derivative synthesis

The development of environment friendly technologies has promoted much research in heterogeneous catalysis and in particular the heterogenization of known active homogeneous catalysts. Natural porous products have been recently considered as one of the promising materials for catalytic applications in terms of being eco-friendly, cost-effective, highly porous, and very effective. One of the natural porous materials suitable for this purpose is natural clinoptilolite which is abundantly found in Semnan region, Iran. One of the disadvantages of this material is its low catalytic activity. This problem could be raised with incorporation of some Lewis acids in the porous structure of the substrate. MnFe2O4, a magnetic nanomaterial is known as an efficient Lewis acid for the synthesis of organic compounds [1] . Due to its magnetic properties, the final MnFe2O4/clinoptiloite could be easily separated from the solution by the aid of an external magnet. In the present study, nanocrystalline MnFe2O4-modified natural clinoptilolite possessing redox properties have been designed and synthesized. Then, these nanocatalysts have been applied in the synthesis of chalcone and pyridine derivatives and their effect on the reaction rates, products’ yields and products’ purity has been studied. Chalcone derivatives are one of the building blocks presented in the structure of flavonoids which have exhibited numerous pharmacological activities as anticancer, antiinflammatory, antireproduction and antioxidant agents.