Highly efficient heterogeneous aerobic oxidative C–C coupling from Csp3–H bonds by a magnetic nanoparticle-immobilized bipy–gold(III) catalyst

A highly efficient heterogeneous cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) of tertiary amines with nitroalkanes and various unmodified ketones was achieved by using a magnetic nanoparticle-immobilized bipy–gold(III) complex as catalyst and air as the sole oxidant to afford the corresponding C–C coupling products in good to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions. The new heterogeneous gold catalyst can easily be separated from the reaction mixture by applying an external magnet and can be recycled at least ten times without a significant loss of activity.