A New CuFe ₂ O ₄ /Acid‐Activated Montmorillonite: An Efficient Magnetic Nanocatalyst for Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis of 1,3‐Thiazolidin‐4‐Ones

ABSTRACT In this work, an effective heterogeneous catalyst for the solvent‐free microwave‐assisted synthesis of 1,3‐thiazolidin‐4‐ones was developed by acid‐activated montmorillonite clay (AMT) modified with CuFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles (CuF/AMT). The montmorillonite's surface area, pore volume, and number of acidic sites were all greatly increased by the acid activation treatment, thereby improving the dispersion of the CuFe 2 O 4 and strengthening their interaction with the clay layers. The prepared catalyst's structural, morphological, and magnetic properties were confirmed by extensive characterization using powder X‐Ray Diffraction (XRD), N 2 ‐phsisorption BET, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), Field‐Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE‐SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). The cyclocondensation of aromatic aldehydes, primary amines, and thioglycolic acid under solvent‐free microwave irradiation was used to assess the catalytic performance of CuF/AMT. Compared with the unmodified CuF/MT system, the results showed higher yields and shorter reaction times, demonstrating the complementary effects of acid activation and CuF incorporation. The catalyst showed promise as a sustainable, reusable nanocatalyst for green organic synthesis, as it was magnetically separable and could be reused multiple times without significant loss of activity.