Copper Nanocatalysis in Multi-component Reactions: A Green to Greener Approach

Background: The role of nanocatalysts holds its wide range of applications in chemical synthesis. Application of nanocatalysts in multicomponent reactions (MCRs) increases the sustainability of processes. Reaction in which three or more reactants combine together to generate desired product without the generation and isolation of any intermediate is known as multi-component reactions. MCRs recently recognized as green, efficient and atom economic process for organic transformation. Nanocatalysts show great potential to catalyzed MCRs in recent few years. Objective: MCRs with classical catalysts violets one or more of the twelve green chemistry principle's but with nanocatalysts MCRs become green to greener processes and follows majority of green chemistry principles. Thus, nanocatalyzed MCRs follow a set of concepts of green chemistry and are able to solve the fundamental challenges of sustainable development to protect human health and environment. Copper based nanomaterials due to its eco-friendly and inexpensive nature, gain much more attention in nanocatalysis research worldwide. Thus, main objective of this article is to explore the potential of various copper based nanocatalysts in MCRs. Conclusion: Present review, reviewed the recent development in chemistry of copper based nanomaterials and their catalytic applications in multi-component reactions and found that various types of Cu-and Cu-based nanoparticles such as Cu-NPs, Cu-oxide NPs, supported Cu-NPs, etc., catalyze the various MCRs at very large extent. Copper nanocatalysts have various advantages over other metal nanocatalysts in terms of short time period, high yield, selectivity, easy and simple work-up-procedure, safe and reusability in most of cases.