Green synthesis of CuO nanoflakes from copper pincer complex for effective N-arylation of benzimidazole

•CuO nanoflakes were prepared from Cu pincer complex in water medium.•CuO nanoflakes catalyze N-arylation of benzimidazole.•Catalyst is efficient and reusable.

Nanostructured CuO is synthesized in water using copper pincer complex as precursor without any stabilizing agent and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). The selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and magnetization measurements indicate lattice fringes spacing of 0.25 nm for (111) plane and ferromagnetic nature of the CuO nanoflakes, respectively. Benzimidazole undergoes N-arylation reaction with aryl halides in the presence of CuO nanoflakes and K2CO3 in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) at 120 °C. The reusability of the CuO nanoflakes is also tested and the results are found to be good.

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