Process Intensification with Bifunctional Heterogeneous Catalysts: Selective One-Pot Synthesis of 2′-Aminochalcones

2′-Aminochalcones of pharmaceutical and commercial interest have been obtained in high yields and selectivities through a one-pot process using a bifunctional heterogeneous catalyst bearing base and metal active sites. This is a physical mixture material formed by a high-surface-area MgO and Pt on TiO2. The process involves as the first step the Claisen–Schmidt condensation between o-nitroacetophenone and benzaldehyde derivatives on the basic catalytic function. This is followed by a chemoselective hydrogenation of the nitro group in the presence of the carbonyl and double-bond carbon–carbon groups within the molecule. Using the bifunctional catalyst and the reaction system proposed here, it is possible to produce, under mild reaction conditions and short reaction times, 2′-aminochalcones with higher yields and selectivities than those obtained by conventional multistep methods.