Copper (I) complex grafted functionalized-CPAM: A novel heterogeneous recyclable catalytic system for one-pot, three-component click reactions in water

• Copper (I) iodide was grafted on IA-ligand-functionalized crosslinked polyacrylamide (CPAM) obtain a highly active catalyst. • CPAM P-IA @CuI showed outstanding catalytic performance in water-based click synthesis of 1,2,3-triazoles. • Grafting of Cu(I) complex on CPAM via covalent interaction afforded a heterogeneous catalyst . • It was easy to recover and reuse CPAM P-IA @CuI in the click reaction in water for five successive runs. A new functionalized-MBA-crosslinked-polyacrylamide grafted with copper (I) complex (CPAM P-IA @Cu(I)) was successfully synthesized by grafting isotoic anhydride as a masked ligand onto the surface of CPAM support in two steps after which Cu(I) was immobilized by chelation. Following that, it was used for heterogeneous catalytic click reactions in water. An in-depth analysis by ICP, FTIR, DR-UV/vis, TG/DTGA, and FE-SEM revealed the changes during modifying the support and stability of the finished polymeric copper (I) catalyst during utilization. Catalytic activity is provided by active Cu(I) species stabilized by amino-amide ligands in the polymer matrix. Moreover, the CPAM anchored Cu(I) complex catalyst-mediated azide-alkyne click reactions proceeded smoothly to afford 1,2,3-triazoles with high yields within a short time. Furthermore, the reaction work-up is also straightforward, with the catalyst being recovered by easy decantation so that it can be reused for at least five repeating click reaction cycles with minimal loss of activity.