Author(s)

Bahija Mounir¹, Fathallaah Bazi², Abddelfetah Mounir³, Mohamed Zahouily⁴, Hamid Toufik¹

¹Laboratoire Matériaux, Substances Naturelles, Environnement & Modélisation (LMSNEM), Faculté Polydisciplinaire de Taza, Université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fès, Maroc.
²Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique et physicochimie des Matériaux, Faculté des Sciences Ben M’Sik de Casablanca, Université Hassan II, Casablanca, Maroc.
³Higher Institute of Nursing Professions and Health Techniques, Marrakech, Morroco.
⁴Laboratoire de Matériaux, Catalyse et Valorisation des Ressources Naturelles, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de Mohammedia, Université Hassan II, Casablanca, Maroc.

A versatile and environmentally friendly method for α,α’-bis(substituted ben-zylidene) cycloalkanones has been developed using a heterogeneous catalysis technology. We have synthesized a series of the α,α’-bis(substituted benzylidene) cycloalkanones, a biologically important class of compounds, via the cross aldol condensation between arylaldehydes and cycloketones using sodium-modified fluorapatite (Na/FAP) as a highly efficient solid catalyst under conventional heating in aqueous media and solventless conditions under microwave. Catalyst reuse, ease of separation of the pure product, and high yields are some of the unique features of this process. Shorter reaction times (4 - 7 min) and higher yields (80% - 94%) were achieved under microwave irradiation conditions.

Green Chemistry, α, α’-Bis(Substituted Benzylidene) Cycloalkanones, Microwaves Irradiation, Conventional Heating, Aqueous Media, Fluorapatite Activated by Sodium Nitrate (Na/FAP)

Mounir, B. , Bazi, F. , Mounir, A. , Zahouily, M. and Toufik, H. (2018) Sodium-Modified Fluorapatite: A Mild and Efficient Reusable Catalyst for the Synthesis of α,α’-Bis(Substituted Benzylidene) Cycloalkanones under Conventional Heating and Microwave Irradiation. Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 8, 156-166. doi: 10.4236/gsc.2018.82011.