CuO Nanoparticles as a Simple and Efficient Green Catalyst for the Aziridine Ring-Opening: Examination of a Broad Range of Nucleophiles

It has been observed that CuO nanoparticles act as effective and reusable catalyst for the ring-opening reaction of aziridines with a wide range of nucleophiles such as alcohols, thiols, and indoles. The catalytic activity has been tested in large scale reactions. The methodology is applicable in very low catalyst loading. The reaction proceeds under solvent-free conditions. The catalyst has been used for six consecutive cycles with comparable efficiency. The present methodology could be considered as environmentally benign as indicated by the calculation of E-factors which are very low in the range of 0.37-1.31.