Synthesis of hybrid POSS based heterogeneous catalysts for N-alkylation of amines with alcohols

Herein, novel hybrid catalysts Cu@APPOSS-2 PC and Ni@APPOSS-2 PC have been synthesized by grafting the 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde (2-PC) ligand on octa-aminopropyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (APPOSS) followed by immobilizing copper and nickel. The as-synthesized sustainable catalysts were characterized by FT-IR, SEM, and pXRD. Catalytic studies showed that both catalysts were excellent for CN coupling reactions to synthesize N-alkylated amines. Moreover, the facile synthesis, easy catalyst recovery, and good sustainability were the advantages from the catalytic point of view.