Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were used as a core for Cu(II) Schiff base complex functionalized mesoporous MCM-41 shell to provide a core–shell nanostructure (Fe3O4@MCM-41@Cu-P2C). A simple, environmentally friendly, inexpensive, green reaction conditions and efficient procedure for the synthesis of polyhydroquinoline, 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles and sulfides derivatives using this core–shell nanostructure as an efficient, novel and recoverable nanocatalyst has been described. Fe3O4@MCM-41@Cu-P2C is stable, cost-effective, heterogeneous, easy to handle and recoverable nanocatalyst and can be reused for several consecutive runs without a significant loss of catalytic activity. The catalyst was characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), powder X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques.
