Green Chemical Synthesis of Cube‐Shaped CuFe₂O₄ Nanoparticles for Use as Magnetically Retrievable Catalysts in A³ Coupling Reactions

ABSTRACT A 3 coupling reaction is a multicomponent reaction (MCR) involving aryl aldehydes, phenyl acetylenes and amines to synthesize a variety of biologically active propargylamine derivatives. Herein, we report the preparation of cube‐shaped CuFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) via the hydrothermal method in the presence of Lantana camara flower (LCF) extract to use them as catalysts to synthesize propargylamine derivatives. X‐ray diffraction study confirms the formation of CuFe 2 O 4 NPs with cubic spinel structures. In the presence of LCF extract, cube‐shaped CuFe 2 O 4 NPs are formed predominantly irrespective of the type of alkali used as the hydrolyzing agent. However, a mixture of nearly spherical and cube‐shaped particles has been formed in the absence of additives. The synthesized CuFe 2 O 4 NPs exhibit superparamagnetic behaviour and are magnetically ordered. The synthesized cube‐shaped CuFe 2 O 4 NPs exhibit excellent catalytic activity in the A 3 coupling reaction between benzaldehyde, piperidine and phenylacetylene to give propargylamine with a yield of 90% under the optimum conditions. The catalyst is highly stable and magnetically retrievable facilitating reusability for up to five cycles without considerable loss of catalytic activity. The protocol is suitable for the synthesis of a diverse range of propargylamine derivatives with moderate to excellent yield.