Copper phthalocyanine tetrasulfonic acid (CuPcS) as an efficient recyclable catalyst for aromatic nitration using sodium nitrate

Nitration of aromatic compounds is an important transformation in synthetic organic chemistry. It becomes imperative to design a highly efficient and environmentally friendly protocol for the synthesis of nitro compounds. Towards this goal, we have developed copper phthalocyanine tetrasulfonic acid as a biodegradable and recyclable solid acid catalyst for aromatic nitration. As a result of the reaction performed, it was observed that copper phthalocyanine tetrasulfonic acid has excellent catalytic activity and can also be recycled after completion of the reaction. So this method of aromatic nitration would be more efficient, greener, and safer than the conventional method. This catalyst has been used to nitrate both activated and deactivated aromatic rings under mild conditions, and it has the ability to synthesize nitro compounds sustainably.