Khosro Mohammadi

N4-donor Schiff base copper(II) nanoparticles were easily prepared through surface modification of silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2) with pyrrole 2-carbaldehyde Schiff base and a subsequent reaction with Cu(CH3COO)2.H2O in ethanolic solution. This nanocatalyst was characterized using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and magnetization. Efficient oxidation of alkenes and alcohols was carried out over the Schiff base copper(II) nanoparticles. Catalytic tests showed that the catalyst was particularly effective for the oxidation of a-methyl styrene, norbornene, benzyl alcohol, and benzohydrol. The results showed that acetophenone, 2-norbornanone, benzoic acid, and benzophenone with selectivity values of 88, 100, 100, and 100, respectively, were obtained. The heterogeneous catalyst of N4-donor Schiff base copper(II) offers advantages such as ease of product separation, catalyst recycling, and ease of preparation. Antibacterial tests against two gram-positive and two gram-negative bacterial species found that the bacteria stopped growing in the catalyst medium.