A sustainable Ru catalyzed aerobic oxidation based on high loading magnetic ionic nanoparticles network

In this study, we describe the production of a novel high loading magnetic ionic nanoparticle network (HMINN) encompassing a functionalized imidazolium structure bridging between the core-shell magnetic nanoparticles. The network was constructed through the in situ radical polymerization of tris-vinyl imidazolium moieties on the surface of mercaptopropyl functionalized silica-coated magnetite. The structural and chemical features of the resulting material were comprehensively characterized utilizing various analytical methods such as N₂ adsorption-desorption, FTIR, TGA, HRTEM, ICP, XPS, VSM and elemental analysis. This material was then served to produce a Ru-supported catalyst for the oxidation of alcohols and amines under aerobic conditions. The aerobic oxidation of a diverse variety of benzylic, aliphatic, allylic, cyclic, and heterocyclic substrates was efficiently accomplished in the presence of Ru@HMINN under additive-free conditions and excellent E-factor and EcoScale factor, affording good to excellent yields of the related aldehydes and nitriles. Some of the advantages are the highly available active sites, high ionic density and porous high loading network, the outstanding dispersion of the catalyst in organic media, and the superior ability of imidazolium units to stabilize the Ru nanoparticles while allowing convenient separation of the whole system by applying an external magnet.