Ferrocene-Labeled Carbon-Encapsulated Iron Nanoparticles: The First Magnetic Nanocatalysts for C–H Arylation toward 1,1′-Biphenyl Formation

The first magnetic nanocatalysts for C–H arylation toward 1,1′-biphenyl formation are described. The nanocatalysts are based on conjugates of ferrocene and carbon-encapsulated iron nanoparticles. The highest catalytic activity was found for ferrocene conjugated to carbon-encapsulated iron nanoparticles via the N-methylpyrrolidine moiety. In the presence of the nanocatalyst, various 1,1′-biphenyls can be obtained in high yields (84–90%). The effect of substitution of the aniline’s phenyl ring on the reaction yield is also included in this work. The nanocatalyst can be easily separated from the reaction mixture and can be reused in up to four reaction cycles without any loss of its high catalytic activity. Our work sheds light on a potential application of functionalized carbon-encapsulated iron nanoparticles in modern industrial organic processes toward more economical manufacturing of organic compounds.