APTES immobilized copper-doped nitrogen quantum dots (CuNPs@N-GQDs@APTES): An efficient heterogeneous nanocatalyst for multicomponent synthesis of 5-substituted-1H-tetrazoles

Abstract

A highly efficient and surface-bound aminated CuNPs@N-GQDs@APTES nanocatalyst has been synthesized and employed for the one-pot three-component reaction of various aromatic aldehydes, sodium azide, and hydroxylamine hydrochloride for the synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles. The characteristic properties of synthesized nanocatalysts were investigated using various characterization techniques. The catalyst was applied to synthesize structurally diverse 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles with 85–96 % yield in 80–210 min under eco-friendly reaction conditions such as use of water at room temperature. Furthermore, the nanocatalyst was employed in four consecutive reactions cycles, with slight decrease in catalytic activity. The nanocatalyst exhibited remarkable advantageous characteristics, including high TON (19,559–23,471) and TOF (93–260 h^-1), ease of recovery, and efficient recyclability with minimal loss of catalytic activity.