Efficient and sustainable nanocatalyst based on dithiocarbamate ionic liquid functionalized magnetic graphene oxide for green synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyridins

The design of catalytic systems that simultaneously achieve high activity, durability, and recyclability remains a central challenge in green and sustainable chemistry. To address the inherent limitations of conventional homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts, we report a multifunctional nanocatalyst comprising dithiocarbamate-functionalized ionic liquids supported on magnetic graphene oxide (MGO-IL-DTC). In this architecture, magnetic graphene oxide provides a high surface area and facile magnetic recovery, ionic liquids create tunable ionic microenvironments, and dithiocarbamate moieties introduce electron-rich coordination sites. The synergistic interplay of these components affords superior catalytic activity, remarkable stability, and straightforward reusability. The catalyst structure was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), elemental analysis, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and EDS mapping. The nanocatalyst efficiently promoted the synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyridine (1,4-DHP) derivatives from aromatic aldehydes, dimedone, β-ketoesters, and ammonium acetate in ethanol under mild conditions, affording high yields (85–95%) within 10–15 min. Moreover, the catalyst could be magnetically recovered and reused for at least five consecutive cycles without appreciable loss of activity. These findings highlight MGO-IL-DTC as a robust and modular platform for sustainable catalytic applications, aligning with the principles of green chemistry.