Efficient one-pot tandem C-C formation reaction catalyzed by a multi-functionalized polyacrylonitrile fiber catalyst

A simple and straightforward method has been proposed in this work to construct a multi-functionalized polyacrylonitrile fiber catalyst containing carboxylic acid, tertiary amine, and quaternary ammonium salt to enable series one-pot C-C bond formation in water. The fiber catalyst was prepared from polyacrylonitrile fiber using a two-step method and characterized using various detection techniques. Furthermore, the activity of multi-functional synergistic catalysts can be controlled by adjusting the ratio of acid and base. It is noteworthy that the polyacrylonitrile fiber catalyst with an acid-base ratio of 3:1 (PANF-ABNCl3/1) exhibited superior catalytic activity and high yield in a variety of C-C generation reactions. Additionally, the PANF-ABNCl3/1 catalyst demonstrated exceptional recyclability (at least 10 times) and performed well in scale-up (7.4 g, 96 %) and continuous flow experiments (can be used continuously for 7 × 24 h) using kettle and tubular fixed bed reactor respectively. These findings suggest that the PANF-ABNCl3/1 catalyst holds promise for industrialization. [Display omitted] •Simple synthesis strategy.•High catalytic activity and substrate selectivity.•Prominent recyclability and superior stability.•Extremely simple separation procedure and efficient scaled-up process on a simple fixed-bed reactor.