Flower-Like Au@CeO2 Core-Shell Nanospheres as Efficient Photocatalyst for Multicomponent Reaction of Alcohols and Amidines

Flower-like core-shell nanospheres (Au@CeO2) were prepared and used as photocatalyst to synthesize 2,4,6-trisubstituted pyrimidines through the three-component reaction of primary alcohols, secondary alcohols and benzamidine hydrochlorides with low catalyst loading. A synergistic effect of ceria and gold on the photocatalytic transformation was found, which strongly enhanced the yield of pyrimidines from 58% on Au NPs (6 mg, 3 mol%) up to 97% on Au@CeO2 (6 mg, 0.4 mol%). The catalyst has also been successfully applied to photocatalytic multicomponent reaction for the synthesis of triazine. The Au@CeO2 catalyst shows high photocatalytic activity, good recyclability and wide applicability to diverse substrates.