Magnetic CoFe2O4 Nanoparticles Supported Basic Poly(Ionic Liquid)s Catalysts: Preparation and Catalytic Performance Comparison in Transesterification and Knoevenagel Condensation

Magnetic CoFe2O4 nanoparticles supported basic poly(ionic liquid)s catalysts were successfully synthesized, and the catalysts prepared through the surface grafting method showed a higher loading amount of ionic liquids, better stability and excellent paramagnetism than that prepared by the conventional co-polymerization method. The catalytic activities for the transesterification and for the Knoevenagel condensation were evaluated, and the catalysts showed an excellent catalytic performance as opposed to the sample prepared using the copolymerization method. The yields of the objective products in transesterification and Knoevenagel condensation were 93 and 97 %, respectively. Moreover, the catalysts could be easily recovered with the assistance of an external magnetic field and after being reused four times, they retained about 76.1 and 68.5 % of their catalytic performance, respectively.