Two-dimensional vanadium carbide (V2CTx) MXenes for one-pot synthesis of 2,5-disubstituted-1,3,4-oxadiazoles†

The development of new reusable and efficient heterogeneous catalysts for the construction of bioactive heterocyclic compounds is of great interest in the present era. Two-dimensional (2D) materials, especially 2D vanadium carbide (V₂CT_x MXene), are widely used in energy storage and conversion because of their good electronic properties and broad surface area, but 2D V₂CT_x MXene has not been explored as a catalyst support for organic transformation. Herein, we demonstrate a smooth cyclization reaction between aldehydes and hydrazides to construct 2,5-disubstituted-1,3,4-oxadiazoles catalyzed by 2D V₂CT_x MXenes. We were able to attach a wide range of substituents on the 2nd and 5th positions of the 1,3,4-oxadiazole ring. The present protocol showed broad functional group tolerance with product yields ranging from 84% to 93% in a shorter reaction time (30–45 min). The 2D V₂CT_x MXene catalyst was able to produce good yields of product even after five catalytic cycles.