Design and development of a novel magnetic camphor nanospheres core/shell nanostructure

In this work, the first synthesis, characterization and catalytic performance of Fe3O4/camphor core/shell nanospheres as a magnetic composite nanocatalyst were reported. The characterization was carried out by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, vibrating sample magnetometer, N2 adsorption–desorption by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller and inductively coupled plasma analyses. The recoverable heterogeneous nanostructure catalyst was simply prepared and effectively employed in the one-pot multicomponent synthesis of b-amino carbonyl compounds in ethanol as a green solvent at room temperature. Further advantages of this new protocol are short reaction times, high yields, easy workup procedure, inexpensive and eco-friendly protocol and magnetically recoverability and several times reusability of the nanocatalyst without significant decrease in catalytic activity.