A green protocol for the in situ synthesis of Pd nanoparticles on chitosan beads (Pd NPs-CS) is reported without the need to use any toxic reducing agents. The preparation of the Pd nanoparticles catalyst was performed using a simple coordination reaction between the prepared chitosan beads and palladium ions (Pd NPs-CS). The obtained catalyst was characterized by different techniques, including SEM, EDX, DRX, and FTIR analyses. The Pd NPs-CS catalyst was investigated in the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction and Heck reaction under greener conditions, and the results show high catalytic activity and selectivity. The bead form of the Pd NPs-CS catalyst was easily separated from the reaction mixture to obtain the desired products, as confirmed by spectroscopic methods. This sustainable catalyst has the advantages of having sustainable organic reactions such as biopolymer support and recovery without significant loss of catalytic activity or selectivity.

A new sustainable heterogenous catalyst for copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction (CuAAC) was investigated. The preparation of the sustainable catalyst was carried out through the complexation reaction between the polysaccharide cellulose acetate backbone (CA) and copper(II) ions. The resulting complex [Cu(II)-CA] was fully characterized by using different spectroscopic methods such as FTIR, SEM, EDX, UV-Vis, and ICP analyses. The Cu(II)-CA complex exhibits a high activity in the CuAAC reaction for substituted alkynes and organic azides, leading to a selective synthesis of the corresponding 1,4-isomer 1,2,3-triazoles in water as solvent and working at room temperature. It is worth noting that this catalyst has several advantages from the sustainable chemistry point of view including no use of additives, biopolymer support, reactions carried out in water at room temperature, and easy recovery of the catalyst. These characteristics make it a potential candidate not only for the CuAAC reaction but also for other catalytic organic reactions.

A new sustainable heterogeneous catalyst for copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction (CuAAC) was investigated. The preparation of the sustainable catalyst was carried out through the complexation reaction between the polysaccharide cellulose acetate backbone (CA) and copper(II) ions. The resulting complex [Cu(II)-CA] was fully characterized by using different spectroscopic methods such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis), and Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) analyses. The Cu(II)-CA complex exhibits high activity in the CuAAC reaction for substituted alkynes and organic azides, leading to a selective synthesis of the corresponding 1,4-isomer 1,2,3-triazoles in water as a solvent and working at room temperature. It is worth noting that this catalyst has several advantages from the sustainable chemistry point of view including no use of additives, biopolymer support, reactions carried out in water at room temperature, and easy recovery of the catalyst. These characteristics make it a potential candidate not only for the CuAAC reaction but also for other catalytic organic reactions.

The naturally occurring sodium alginate (SA) biopolymer from the Sargassum muticum (Yendo) Fensholt was employed as a green organocatalyst for the synthesis of 4H-pyran derivatives. The naturally extracted macromolecule was fully characterized using different analyses, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX). The catalytic activity of SA was investigated in the one-pot reaction between aldehydes, malononitrile, and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds in water at room temperature, and the corresponding 2-amino-3-cyano-4H-pyran derivatives were obtained with good to excellent yields. This organocatalyst was easily separated from the reaction mixture and reused for at least two consecutive cycles without a significant loss of its catalytic activity or selectivity. From the mechanistic point of view, density functional theory (DFT) and NCI analyses were performed for the first time to explain the regioselectivity outcomes for the synthesis of 2-amino-3-cyano-4H-pyran derivatives using SA as a green organocatalyst.