MWCNT incorporated silica aerogel prepared by ambient pressure drying: A recyclable catalyst for multicomponent synthesis of benzylpyrazolyl coumarin at room temperature

Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube (MWCNT) reinforced silica aerogel was synthesized in a very simple and cost effective sol - gel method. The process was followed by ambient pressure drying, and then the aerogel material was characterized by XRD, BET, SEM, EDX and FT-IR. 2.3 x 10^-3 wt% MWCNTs were successfully incorporated in sodium silicate based silica aerogel. This metal-free nanocomposite catalyzed a four component organic reaction among 4-hydroxy coumarin, benzaldehyde, phenyl hydrazine, and ethyl acetoacetate for synthesizing medicinally important benzylpyrazolyl coumarin at room temperature. The MWCNT/silica aerogel composite material having easy accessible active sites and high catalytic activity was easily recovered and reused. The aerogel composite when impregnated with ceria offered very efficient and selective reaction methodology.