J. Chem. Eng. Chem. Res. Vol. 1, No. 1, 2014, pp. 1-5 Received: May 7, 2014; Published: July 25, 2014 Journal of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry Research ZnO Nanoparticle as Catalyst for Efficient Green Synthesis of Antiplatelet Drug (Clopidogrel) Ali Gharib 1, 2 , Nader Noroozi Pesyan 3 , Leila Vojdani Fard 4 and Mina Roshani 1 1. Department of Chemistry, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran 2 . Agricultural Researches and Services Center, Mashhad, Iran 3. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran 4. Education Ministry, Education Organization of Razavi Khorasan, Mashhad, Iran Corresponding author: Ali Gharib (organiccatalyst2008@gmail.com) Abstract: We report on the use of ZnO nanoparticle catalyst for obtaining methyl 2-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-(6,7-dihydrothieno[3,2-c]pyridin-5(4H)-yl)acetate [(±)-clopidogrel]. An efficient and environmental benign method is reported for the synthesis of (±)-clopidogrel with 2-chlorophenylboronic acid and 2-oxoacetic acid in the presence of ZnO nanoparticle catalyst and at reflux conditions. The choice of an appropriate reaction medium is important for successful synthesis. On the optimized of amount of catalyst, we found that 10 mol% of ZnO nanoparticles could effectively catalyze the reaction for synthesis of the desired product with a purity < 98% ee. It is noteworthy to mention that this method of the synthesis better yield. The catalyst is inexpensive, stable, can be easily recycled and reused for several cycles with consistent activity. Key words: ZnO nanoparticle, catalyst, clopidogrel, synthesis, recycle, antiplatelet drug. 1. Introduction Clopidogrel, is a potent oral antiplatelet agent often used in the treatment of coronary artery, peripheral vascular and cerebrovascular diseases. It is marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis under the trade name Plavix ® and licensed by Sanofi in 1986. The mechanism of action of clopidogrel is irreversible blockade of the adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor P2Y12 and is important in platelet aggregation, the cross-linking of platelets by fibrin [1, 2]. Recent studies have shown that the clopidogrel is more effective in blocking platelet aggregation than aspirin and ticlopidine even at much lower dosage [3]. The demand for increasingly clean and efficient chemical synthesis is important from both the economic and environmental points of view [4], so more attempts to find green and economical synthetic methods are necessary. One of the most attractive synthetic strategies favoured by organic chemists is the use of heterogeneous catalyst in increasing the efficiency of a wide range of organic synthesis. Intensive studies have been recently focused on the development of catalytic systems owing to their importance in synthetic organic chemistry. Heterogeneous catalysis is being used in the finechemicals industry because of the need for more environmentally friendly production technology. This tendency is assisted by the availability of novel catalytic materials and modern techniques of creating and investigating specific active sites on catalyst surfaces [5, 6]. In recent years, in biological field the potential utility of ZnO nanoparticle in the treatment of cancer have been reported by many researchers. Owing to numerous advantages associated with this eco-friendly nature, it has been explored as a powerful catalyst for several organic transformations [7]. Recently, bulk Zinc oxide has been employed as a heterogeneous catalyst for various organic