Schiff base complex of Mo supported on iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4) as recoverable nanocatalyst for the selective oxidation of sulfides

In this work, a new tridentate Schiff base dioxo-molybdenum(VI) complex immobilized on silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles (MoO(2)5CML-Fe3O4@SiO2) has been synthesized and characterized using different techniques such as FTIR, TGA, AAS, ICP-AES, XRD, VSM, EDX and SEM analyses. The catalytic activity of synthesized complex was examined in the oxidation of various sulfides in the presence of H2O2 as cheap, green and eco-friendly oxidant. This catalytic system provides high conversion and selectivity toward either sulfoxides or sulfones under different conditions. Also, the nanocatalyst could be easily separated and regenerated from reaction media by external magnet and could be reused for ten times without significant loss of the activity and selectivity.