Aqueous CO ₂ Fixation into Quinazoline‐2,4(1 H ,3 H )‐diones Over Zn‐Grafted Mesoporous Silica as an Effe

ABSTRACT

This work reports the synthesis of Quinazoline‐2,4(1 H ,3 H )‐dione derivatives from 2‐aminobenzonitrile (ABN) as the starting material and carbon dioxide as a sustainable carbon source under a heterogeneous catalytic system. A zinc‐loaded bimodal mesoporous silica (BMM‐Zn) catalyst was employed for the reaction. Mesoporous silica is a mesostructured nanomaterial with well‐defined porosity, which provides a suitable framework for efficient metal anchoring and catalytic activity. A variety of quinazoline‐2,4(1 H ,3 H )‐dione derivatives were successfully synthesized using this methodology, highlighting its broad substrate scope. These compounds are important intermediates for the synthesis of biologically active molecules with pharmaceutical relevance. The reaction proceeds in an aqueous medium and utilizes a recyclable heterogeneous catalyst, making the process sustainable. The effect of various reaction parameters, including temperature, CO ₂ pressure, and reaction time, was systematically investigated to optimize the reaction. The BMM‐Zn catalyst was thoroughly characterized using techniques such as FT‐IR, XRD, TGA, SEM, TEM, XPS, and EDX with elemental mapping and nitrogen adsorption–desorption analysis using BET.