An iron Schiff base complex loaded mesoporous silica nanoreactor as a catalyst for the synthesis of pyrazine-based heterocycles

An iron Schiff base complex was encapsulated in SBA-15 mesoporous silica to afford a Fe(III)-Schiff base/SBA-15 heterogeneous nanocatalyst for the synthesis of pyridopyrazine and quinoxaline heterocycles. These reactions proceeded in water with excellent yields. The catalyst was characterized by physico-chemical and spectroscopic methods and found to retain the characteristic channel structures of the SBA-15, allowing good accessibility of the encapsulated metal complex.