Remarkable Confinement Effect of Nanofiber in Carbon Nanotubes for Dehydrogenative Coupling of Alcohols with α-Diaminobenzene: A Route for the Synthesis of Benzimidazoles

Abstract

Magnetic nanofiber (MNF) confined in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been efficiently used in dehydrogenative coupling. A remarkable effect has been observed in the coupling of alcohols with diaminobenzene. This represents a new method to produce benzimidazoles in high yields under heterogeneous conditions without using expensive metals such as Pt, Ru, and Ir. This MNF was synthesized by reacting magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) with various spacers such as di-, tri- and tetracarboxylic acids. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim