Immobilized VOsalpr on modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles as a magnetically separable epoxidation catalyst

Fe3O4 nanoparticles were prepared and modified with chloropropyl trimethoxysilane (Cl-PTMS). The N,N′-bis(3-salicylidenaminopropyl)amine (salpr) Schiff base ligand was then immobilized on modified Fe3O4, which was followed by the addition of VOSO4 in order to complex it with immobilized sa0lpr. The obtained nanocatalyst designated as VO(Salpr)/SCMNPs was characterized by FT–IR, XRD, SEM, TEM, and VSM techniques. It was found that VO(salpr)/SCMNPs successfully catalyze the epoxidation of allyl alcohols, such as limonene, 1-octene-3-ol, trans-2-hexene-1-ol and geraniol with 50 to 100% conversion and 62 to 100% selectivity with tert-butylhydroperoxide (TBHP). The study of this catalyst's stability and reusability revealed that VO(salpr)/SCMNPs behaves heterogeneously with no desorption during the course of the epoxidation reactions.