Sustainable magnetic ZnFe2O4 Nanoparticles as a Potent heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of phenols and nitroarenes

Abstract

This work primarily focuses on the biogenic synthesis of ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles using Lantana camara leaf extract. The material features a spherical morphology as confirmed from SEM and HRTEM analysis of the material. The material is explored as a heterogeneous catalyst in the synthesis of phenols and nitroarenes from phenyl Boronic acids. The synthesis and catalytic protocol are highly sustainable and apply to a wide range of substrates with excellent yield of products in a very short reaction time and is more advantageous than recently published works in terms of temperature, time and amounts of oxidant used. For the first time we have reported a Zn based nano catalysts for such important organic transformations. The structural and compositional characteristics of the material were studied through SEM, HRTEM, PXRD, EDX, and XPS. The ferromagnetic behaviour of the material was also confirmed with VSM which facilitates the efficient recovery of the material. Our finding exhibits an efficient approach not only for the synthesis of ZnFe₂O₄ NPs but also for its application as a heterogeneous catalyst.