β-Enaminones over recyclable nano-CoFe₂O₄: a highly efficient solvent-free green protocol

Abstract: β-Enaminone and its derivatives have emerged among the finest bioactive intermediates. High yields of several β-enaminones (86–97%) are achieved through treatment of substituted aromatic and aliphatic amines with cyclic/acyclic 1,3-diketones, over the magnetically separable cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (CoFe₂O₄ NPs). The latter was prepared upon co-precipitation. Its purity, fine crystallinity, elemental distributions, morphology, magnetic features, and thermal stability were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and thermal gravimetric analysis analyses. Thus, CoFe₂O₄ NPs acted as an excellent green heterogeneous nanocatalyst for synthesis of β-enaminones and gave good recyclability, while showing insignificant loss of their activity. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].