Schiff base complex coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles: A highly reusable nanocatalyst for the selective oxidation of sulfides and oxidative coupling of thiols

• Schiff base complex of Cu (II) immobilized on the magnetic nanoparticles was prepared.
• Schiff base/Cu (II)/Fe3O4 was fully characterized.
• Schiff base/Cu (II)/Fe3O4 was employed for the preparation of sulfoxides and disulfides.
• Catalyst could be easily recovered using a magnet and recycled.

In this work, a new nanomagnetic complex of Cu(II) has been synthesized. The prepared catalyst was characterized by TG/DTG, FT-IR, TEM, VSM, ICP, AAS, XRD, EDS and SEM analyses. It was found to be an efficient catalyst for the oxidation of sulfides and oxidative coupling of thiols. High catalytic activity, ease of recovery from the reaction mixture using an external magnet, and several reuse times without significant losses in performance are additional eco-friendly attributes of this catalytic system.