An efficient, multicomponent synthesis of aminoalkylnaphthols via Betti reaction using ZSM‐5 as a recoverable and reusable catalyst

Abstract

The design and application of environmentally friendly catalysts to reduce the number of toxic wastes are critical for improving the chemical synthetic protocols. A simple, mild, efficient, and eco-friendly method was developed for the synthesis of a series of Betti bases, 1-(α-aminoalkyl)naphthols, via a one-pot, multi-component reaction from aldehydes, β-naphthol and secondary amines in the presence of H-ZSM-5 as a catalyst at room temperature. The key advantages of the new protocol are environmentally friendly as it offers some interesting promising reaction prerequisites such as mild condition, safe, minimal waste, low cost, short reaction time and atom efficiency, easy workup, high to excellent yields, and possessing excellent functional group tolerance to synthesize structurally diverse derivatives. The catalyst is readily recovered by simple decantation and recycled several times with no significant loss in the catalytic activity.