In this study, 1-(3-aminopropyl)imidazole-functionalized
porous
graphene oxide nanosheets (GONs) decorated with palladium nanoparticles
(Pd NPs; size, ∼11 nm) have been developed. This has been accomplished
via covalent immobilization of amine-terminated imidazolium moieties
over GONs, which were further decorated with Pd NPs by employing chemical
reduction method. To authenticate the successful preparation of a
nanocatalyst (i.e., GO-Imd-Pd), numerous physicochemical characterization
techniques, such as FT-IR, XRD, TEM, TGA, SEM, EDAX, XPS, CHN, ICP-MS,
and BET surface area analysis, have been utilized. The synthesized
hybrid nanomaterial could validate its supremacy as a highly efficacious
and heterogeneous nanocatalyst for the oxidative amidation of aldehydes.
The prepared hybrid nanomaterial could offer Lewis acidic sites, which
could help in the activation of reactant molecules, thereby delivering
a high yield of the product. The prepared hybrid nanomaterial could
be effortlessly separated from the reaction mixture by simple centrifugation
technique. Also, the prepared nanocatalyst showed magnificent recyclability
up to six catalytic runs without any perceptible loss in its activity
and showed no sign of disintegration.