Magnetically separable MnFe2O4 nano-material: an efficient and reusable heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of 2-substituted benzimidazoles and the extended synthesis of quinoxalines at room temperature under aerobic conditions

A simple and efficient protocol has been developed for the synthesis of biologically relevant 2-substituted benzimidazoles and quinoxalines using magnetically separable manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) nanopowder for the first time as a reusable heterogeneous catalyst at room temperature under aerobic conditions. MnFe2O4 nanoparticles were prepared by a simple sol-gel method using starch as a bio-polymeric matrix, and characterized by XRD, TEM, EDAX and VSM analyses.