Polyvinylpyrrolidone-supported zirconium nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, efficiency as a new polymer nanocomposite catalyst for one-step transesterification reaction

Cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone-supported zirconium tetrachloride is reported as a new polymeric nanocomposite catalyst for the one-stage transesterification reaction of ethyl acetate with different alcohols. The catalyst was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering technique, inductively coupled plasma, and thermal gravimetric analysis. Also, the amount of zirconium nanoparticles was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Using different substrates on the scale of 1.0 mmol, the experiments showed successful transesterification reaction with desirable yields and short reaction times by adding the catalyst (0.20 g, 0.40 mol%) and n -hexane/chloroform (3.0 cm 3 ) as solvent under reflux conditions. The catalyst could be reused for seven consecutive reactions without a considerable loss of activity. The most remarkable features of this method are the non-toxicity of the catalyst, simple operation, and efficient results, which make it environmentally friendly, economical, and safe. Graphical abstract