MCM‐41 Supported Anthracene Based Cu(II)‐Schiff Base Complex: A Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Synthesis of 4H‐Pyrans/Chromene

Abstract

The anthracene‐appended Schiff base N1‐(anthracene‐9‐methylene)benzene‐1,2‐diamine and its Cu(II) complex has been synthesized and anchored on MCM‐41 support (MCM@CP@AnL@Cu 1). The synthesized catalyst was characterized by various analytical techniques including single crystal X‐ray. Malononitrile, 1,3‐dione, and aromatic aldehydes with various substituents were used in one‐pot, three‐component synthesis of 2‐amino‐3‐cyano‐4H‐pyran/chromene derivatives using above catalyst 1. All the products of the catalytic reaction were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectra. We have also proposed a probable reaction mechanism involved in the catalytic reaction. The present catalyst has several advantages like works in mild reaction conditions, that is, at 80 °C, gives higher yields up to 97%, has thermal stability up to 295 °C, and can be reused up to 5 cycles. The immobilized material did not show any considerable leaching or deterioration throughout the catalytic reactions, confirming that it possesses a practical benefit over homogeneous catalysis. The MCM@CP@AnL@Cu (1) is believed to be a good solid heterogeneous catalyst and meets the need of green chemistry for sustainable environment. To the best of our knowledge, this is first example of anthracene‐based Cu (II)‐Schiff base complexes immobilized on modified MCM‐41 surfaces for the multicomponent synthesis of 4H‐pyrans.