Cellulose sulphuric acid as a biodegradable and reusable catalyst for the Knoevenagel condensation

A green, mild and efficient method for Knoevenagel condensation of 3-formylchromone/2-chlroquinoline-3-carbaldehyde with active methylene compounds such as Meldrum’s acid/ethyl cyanoacetate using biosupported cellulose sulphuric acid (CSA) in the solid-state by grinding under solvent-free condition has been developed. This method provides several advantages including environmental friendliness, shor t reaction times, high yields and a simple work-up procedure. Moreover, the CSA was successfully reused for four cycles without significant loss of activity.