A synergistic Aloe vera assisted green synthesis of silver and cobalt nanocomposite: practical utility in the synthesis of high-value chemicals

Abstract

BACKGROUND

The synthesis of heterocyclic compounds has garnered significant attention due to their wide range of biological pharmaceutical activities. In recent years, nanocatalysis have emerged as a powerful tool to enhance the selectivity and efficiency of chemical reactions. This study presents a simple and eco-friendly approach to the synthesis of 2-oxopyrimidine-5-carbonitrile derivatives utilizing Aloe vera-assisted silver cobalt nanocomposites. The prepared nanocomposite was characterized by several physicochemical techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and Raman spectroscopy.

RESULTS

In this study, we report the synthesis of profoundly N-heterocyclic compounds within 4 h in good to moderate yields using an environmentally benign ethanol as a solvent. In comparison to the previous methodologies, the present study has several advantages, such as excellent catalytic performance, admirable green metrics like E factor (0.37%), process mass intensity (1.37%), reaction mass efficiency (72.73%) and carbon efficiency (92%), and the nanocatalyst was recycled up to six consecutive cycles without a major loss in its activity.

CONCLUSION

The biogenic approach using plant extract has shown a promising and eco-friendly route for the synthesis of nanoparticles. The favorable catalytic activity, green chemistry metrics, and recyclability of Aloe vera-mediated silver cobalt nanocatalyst make the current protocol advantageous from an industrial as well as environmental perspective. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).