Cu(II)-anchored functionalized mesoporous SBA-15: An efficient and recyclable catalyst for the one-pot Click reaction in water

•A new mesoporus silica supported copper(II) catalyst has been synthesized.•This catalyst shows excellent catalytic activity towards the one pot click reaction.•Reaction goes in water medium and in room temperature.•Hazardous organic solvents throughout the reaction were avoided.•This catalyst can be recycled upto five times.

A new pyridine-imine functionalized mesoporus silica (SBA-15) has been synthesized through the Schiff-base condensation of 3-aminopropyl functionalized SBA-15 with 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde followed by the grafting of Cu(II) onto it resulting a new Cu@PyIm-SBA-15 material. 2D-hexagonally ordered mesophases of the material are analyzed by small-angle powder X-ray diffractions (PXRD) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) image analyses. The Cu(II)-anchored mesoporous material, Cu@PyIm-SBA-15 showed excellent catalytic activity towards the one pot click reaction between azides formed in situ from the corresponding amines and acetylenes in water at 0 °C to room temperature resulting a wide variety of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles. The catalyst has been recycled for five cycles without any appreciable loss of catalytic activity and also without any appreciable Cu-leaching, suggesting a future potential of this novel mesoporous catalyst for the synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles.

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