Functionalised Chitosan as a Green, Recyclable, Supported Catalyst for the Copper-Catalysed Ullmann C-N Coupling Reaction in Water

• Copper-catalysed Ullmann C-N coupling reaction in water.
• Chitosan-supported 1H-pyrrole-2-carbohydrazide (CSP) was used as ligand.
• Heterogeneous CuO/ CSP catalyst system showed superior catalytic activity.
• The catalyst system could be reused for six runs and remain moderately catalytic.

Functionalised chitosan was synthesised and combined with CuO to yield a recyclable, environment-friendly heterogeneous catalytic system for the Ullmann C-N coupling reaction in water. Various aromatic amines can be readily prepared from both electron-withdrawing and electron-donating aryl halides with anilines, benzylamine, aliphatic amines and imidazole with good to excellent yields, even for the hindered o-substituted aryl halides.

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