In recent years, nanotechnology has become a considerable research interest in the area of preparation of nanocatalysts based on naturally occurring polysaccharides. Chitosan (CS), as a naturally occurring biodegradable and biocompatible polysaccharide, is successfully utilized as an ideal template for the immobilization of metal oxide nanoparticles. In this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles have been doped within a chitosan matrix at dissimilar weight percentages (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 wt.% CS/ZnO) and have been fabricated by using a simple solution casting method. The prepared solutions of the nanocomposites were cast in a Petri-dish and were subsequently shaped as a thin film. After that, the structural features of the nanocomposite film have been studied by measuring the FTIR, SEM, and XRD analytical tools. FTIR spectra showed the presence of some changes in the major characteristic peaks of chitosan due to interaction with ZnO nanoparticles. In addition, SEM graphs exhibited dramatic morphology changes on the chitosan surface, which is attributed to the surface adsorption of ZnO molecules. Based on the results of the investigated organic catalytic reactions, the prepared CS/ZnO nanocomposite film (20 wt.%) could be a viable an effective, recyclable, and heterogeneous base catalyst in the synthesis of thiazoles. The results showed that the nanocomposite film is chemically stable and can be collected and reused in the investigated catalytic reactions more than three times without loss of its catalytic activity.
Keywords: chitosan; heterogeneous catalysis; nanocomposite film; thiazoles; zinc oxide (ZnO).