Anchoring 1-methyl-3-(triethoxysilylpropyl) imidazolium chloride onto silica-coated magnetic Fe3O4 particles afforded the corresponding supported ionic liquid. Exchanging the Cl− anion by treating with H2SO4 gave Brønsted ionic liquid 1-methyl-3-(triethoxysilylpropyl) imidazolium hydrogensulfate. The synthesized catalyst was characterized by various techniques such as infrared, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and elemental analyses. The results indicated that the prepared catalyst had a nanostructure. The catalytic activity of the supported ionic liquid was examined in the synthesis of the polysubstituted pyridines by reaction of aromatic aldehydes with acetophenones and ammonium acetate in moderate to good yields under solvent-free conditions. The catalyst can be easily recovered by applying an external magnetic field and reused for at least seven runs without deterioration in catalytic activity.
