Cuprous iodide implanted in hot-water-soluble-starch coating of ferrite nanoparticles: efficient catalysts for on-water click synthesis of 1,2,3-triazoles†

Abstract

Conglomerates of CuI nanoparticles combined with ferrous ferrite (FF) and cobalt ferrite (CF) nanoparticles were obtained using hot-water-soluble starch (HWSS) as a green adhesive possessing a strong complexing affinity for both the ferrites and CuI nanoparticles. Our findings indicate that the size of the CuI nanoparticles is closely related to the size of the ferrite nanoparticles, suggesting that the CuI nanoparticles grafted from the HWSS coating of the ferrite nanoparticles. The TEM image, size histograms derived from FE-SEM images and XRD patterns of the resulting composites revealed that the growth of CuI nanoparticles led to formation of conglomerates and not encapsulation of the ferrite nanoparticles. More interestingly, HWSS impacts oppositely on coercivities of the ferrites. The catalytic efficacy of the resulting nano-composites, CuI@HWSS@CF and CuI@HWSS@FF, in the one-pot synthesis of 1,2,3-triazoles through the click reaction of alkyl halides, sodium azide, and phenylacetylene “on water” is described. The use of a biocompatible nano-catalyst, easy catalyst recycling and high yields of the triazoles within short reaction times are the significant advantages of the synthetic method presented here.