Multi-component one-pot reaction of aldehyde, hydroxylamine and sodium azide catalyzed by Cu-MCM-41 nanoparticles: a novel method for the synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazole derivatives

A simple and efficient procedure for the synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazole derivatives has been developed using a one-pot, three-component reaction of various aldehydes, hydroxylamine and sodium azide in the presence of a catalytic amount of Cu-MCM-41, as a nanostructured, heterogeneous and reusable catalyst. In this research, Cu-MCM-41 nanoparticles with three Cu/Si molar ratios were prepared and characterized using various techniques. The characterization and optimization results show that the catalyst with a Cu/Si molar ratio of 0.050 has the best catalytic activity.