Magnetic polyvinylpolypyrrolidone polymer composite-supported copper(i) catalyst: an efficient and easily reusable catalyst for sustainable synthesis of 1,2,3-triazoles in water†‡

The development of sustainable products and processes involves the use of green chemistry principles. A new and facile synthesis of a recoverable copper(I) catalyst supported on magnetic crosslinked polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (Fe₃O₄-PVPP) for the synthesis of 1,2,3-triazole derivatives under copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition reactions (CuAAC) is presented in this study. The magnetic support was prepared by in situ co-precipitation of Fe₃O₄ in polyvinylpolypyrrolidone followed by immobilization of copper(I) on the magnetic support to afford a Cu(I)/PVPP-Fe₃O₄ composite, which was characterized using several techniques. Its catalytic efficiency in CuAAC working under low copper catalyst loading leads to the selective synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazoles with good to excellent yields. The green aspect of this catalytic process relies on using water as catalytic reaction medium, working at room temperature, easy isolation of 1,2,3-triazoles and simple separation of the composite catalyst by exposure to an external magnet for recovery and further reuse. The greenness of the procedure was also assessed through the atom economy (AE), E-factor and EcoScale, showing low waste generation and better sustainability scores.