Use of a highly efficient and recyclable solid-phase catalyst based on nanocrystalline titania for the Pechmann condensation

Nanocrystalline titania-based sulfonic acid was used as an efficient and reusable catalyst for the synthesis of coumarins. The clean, mild acidity condition, the quantitative yields of products, the short reaction time, and the low reaction temperature are attractive features of this method, making it suitable for heat- or acid-sensitive substrates, particularly in drug synthesis. In practice, this method affords an advantageous combination of satisfactory yields, easy product isolation and purification.