Ionic liquid-impregnated graphene oxide constructed from Cocos nucifera leaf stalks: A novel, green catalyst for the one-pot synthesis of pyrimidine-5-carbonitriles

A novel catalytic system based on ionic liquid-functionalized graphene oxide (GO-[DBU][DBB]) derived from Cocos nucifera leaf stalks was successfully synthesized and comprehensively characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, XRD analysis, ICP-MS analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The catalyst efficiently promoted the one-pot synthesis of 14 pyrimidine-5-carbonitrile derivatives under mild and green conditions in n -hexane, delivering isolated yields ranging from 11 % to 67 % with low catalyst loading in the presence of Na₂CO₃. Importantly, GO-[DBU][DBB] exhibited good reusability and stability across multiple runs, while the reaction kinetics were systematically investigated to gain mechanistic insights. These results highlight the potential of this biomass-derived, metal-free catalyst as a sustainable platform for heterocyclic synthesis.