Recyclable superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles for efficient catalysis of thiolysis of epoxides

An efficient and rapid procedure is developed for room-temperature ring opening of various epoxides with thiols under solvent-free conditions in the presence of catalytic amount of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles. As a result, high conversion of reactants to various β-hydroxy sulfides is observed in short time periods while the heterogeneous catalyst could be recovered and reused over several cycles without loosing its activity. Competitive reactions show higher reactivity of aromatic thiols over the aliphatic counterparts.

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► Superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles cause rapid thiolysis of epoxides.
► The process is solvent-free and takes place efficiently at room-temperature.
► The catalyst is recoverable and can be used in next reactions.
► Aromatic thiols react selectively in competition with aliphatic counterparts.