Nanoparticles are key focus of research for a wide range of novel applications. As
such, ZnFe2O4
magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized hydrothermally and charac-terized via scanning and transmission electron microscopies, powder X‐ray diffrac-tion, energy‐dispersive X‐ray and infrared spectroscopies, thermogravimetric
analysis and magnetic measurements. They were used as a robust catalyst for the
synthesis of a series of biologically active multi‐substituted imidazoles using a mul-ticomponent reaction by the reaction of benzil with various aromatic aldehydes,
ammonium acetate and aliphatic amines (N,N‐dimethyl‐1,3‐propanediamine and
1‐amino‐2‐propanol) under solvent‐free conditions. The key advantages of this
method are shorter reaction times, very high yield and ease of operation. The ther-mally and chemically stable, benign and economical catalyst was easily recovered
using an external magnet and reused in at least five successive runs without an
appreciable loss of activity. All of these novel synthesized compounds were charac-terized from spectral data and their purities were checked using thin‐layer chroma-tography, giving one spot. Furthermore, the prepared compounds were tested for
their anti‐inflammatory activity