Phosphotungstic acid supported on silica-coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles: An efficient and magnetically-recoverable catalyst for N-formylation of amines under solvent-free conditions

• Phosphotungstic acid was anchored on CoFe2O4@SiO2.
• This composite was used as catalyst in N-formylation reactions.
• The N-formylation reactions were carried out under solventless conditions.
• The catalyst can be recovered by applying a permanent magnet.

Phosphotungstic acid (PTA) was rapidly and efficiently anchored on the surface of silica coated cobalt ferrite core to obtain a new three-component CoFe2O4@SiO2–PTA nanocomposite. The resultant composite was characterized by various techniques, including FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDX, ICP-AES, and VSM. The as-synthesized nanocomposite was examined as catalyst for N-formylation of various amines under solvent-free conditions at room temperature. Due to the presence of magnetic core in this catalyst, it can be easily separated from the reaction media by applying an external magnetic field. The isolated catalyst can be reused for at least five successive times without significant leaching or loss of its high catalytic activity.

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