A novel magnetic heterojunction NiO@Fe3O4 photocatalyst in the synthesis of cardiovascular quinazolin-4(1H)-one drugs

Quinazolin-4(1H)-one derivatives have shown potential in various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular diseases because of their antihypertensive effects. Therefore, synthesis of these heterocyclic compounds is of prime importance. The NiO@Fe₃O₄ nanophotocatalyst has been introduced as a novel mediator for the one-pot synthesis of some substituted quinazolin-4(1H)-one derivatives under illumination of a 200 W high-pressure mercury vapor lamp. The environmental-friendly nanophotocatalyst is biosynthesized using the extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra leaves and characterized through various analytical techniques such as XPS, VSM, FT-IR, XRD, FE-SEM, TEM, and EDS. The TEM analysis revealed the size of 20–45 nm for the prepared NiO@Fe₃. Optimization experiments proved that the condensation reactions can be achieved under aerobic conditions at room temperature with high to excellent yields with 1 mmol of 2-aminobenzamide and the corresponding aromatic aldehyde in the presence of 30 mg of NiO@Fe₃O₄ nanophotocatalyst in ethanol as a safe solvent during 20 min under irradiation. The stability and reusability of the photocatalyst were assessed, demonstrating its practical applicability and reproducibility.