Water compatible silica supported iron trifluoroacetate and trichloroacetate: as prominent and recyclable Lewis acid catalysts for solvent-free green synthesis of hexahydroquinoline-3-carboxamides.

Silica supported iron trifluoroacetate and iron trichloroacetate green Lewis acid catalysts were developed by a novel, cheap, environment-friendly approach and utilized in the synthesis of hexahydroquinoline-3-carboxamide derivatives. The structure and morphology of the prepared Lewis acid catalysts were studied by FTIR, PXRD, FE-SEM, HR-TEM, EDX, BET, TGA and NH-TPD techniques. The present catalysts shows maximum conversion efficiency in hexahydroquinoline-3-carboxamide derivatives synthesis at 70 °C in solvent free reaction condition with best product yield in a short reaction time. Both catalysts are reusable and simple to recover, and perform meritoriously in water as well as in a variety of organic solvents. The key advantages of the current synthetic route are permitting of a variety of functional groups, quick reaction time, high product yield, mild reaction condition, recyclability of catalyst and solvent-free green synthesis. This makes it more convenient, economic and environmentally beneficial.