Fabrication of self-assembled CuO nanosheets for the sustainable synthesis of 2-substituted 1,3-benzothiazoles.

We report the rapid, sustainable, facile, environmentally friendly synthesis of copper oxide nanosheets (CuO NSs) and their application as a nanocatalyst for the synthesis of 2-substituted 1,3-benzothiazoles. The CuO NSs were characterized by various analytical techniques, including UV-Vis, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) mapping. CuO NSs were successfully utilized in the environmentally-friendly synthesis of biologically active 2-substituted 1,3-benzothiazole derivatives in an aqueous ethanol medium. The desired products were obtained in excellent yields without the formation of side products. The synthetic efficacy of this compound is underscored by its high-yielding protocol across a diverse range of substrates and ability to operate under mild reaction conditions. The nanosheet morphology of CuO provides abundant active sites, enabling exceptional catalytic efficiency. The catalyst is readily recoverable and reusable over multiple cycles without significant loss of activity. This operationally simple strategy combines high atom economy, excellent recyclability, and environmentally benign conditions, offering a valuable route to benzothiazole frameworks of pharmaceutical and industrial relevance.