Ru-Ferrite-Decorated Graphene (RuFG): A Sustainable and Efficient Catalyst for Conversion of Aromatic Aldehydes and Nitriles to Primary Amides in Aqueous Medium

Graphite oxide was synthesized and subsequently decorated with Ru-ferrite NPs which was characterized properly. The graphite oxide was reduced upon embedding of Ru-ferrite NPs, which is reflected in powder XRD, TGA, FT-IR, and Raman analyses. The paramagnetic nature of RuFG was confirmed from VSM analysis which particularly makes it a recyclable candidate in catalysis. The prepared RuFG was successively utilized for the conversion of aromatic aldehyde or nitrile to the corresponding primary amides in aqueous medium. The RuFG catalyst proved to be highly efficient providing excellent yields within a short period of time. The catalyst could be recycled and reused for eight consecutive runs without significant loss in catalytic activity. ICP-AES analysis of the reused catalyst confirmed insignificant leaching. TON (270) and TOF (270 h(-1)) calculations of the present RuFG catalyst show superiority from that of the reported metal-supported heterogeneous catalyst.