The CC@ZrO₂ green catalyst was created by immobilizing a chlorophyllin copper complex onto ZrO₂ nanoparticles under mechanical conditions. The resulting catalyst demonstrated exceptional efficacy in generating different types of thioether derivatives.

The synthesis of organosulfur compounds gained specific interest in the interference of organic chemistry and chemical biology. Copper chlorophyllin (CC) is a bio-based copper complex that facilitates the synthesis of organosulfur compounds through the thioetherification reaction. The current paper deals with the immobilization of CC on the ZrO₂ nanoparticles (CC@ZrO₂) and its application in the one-pot thioetherification of alkyl and aryl halides using thiourea, an alternative to the bad-smelling thiols. After the characterization of CC@ZrO₂ with different analytical techniques such as FT-IR, TGA, XPS, N₂ adsorption/desorption, XRD, ICP, and FESEM, the catalytic activity of the prepared CC@ZrO₂ was evaluated in the synthesis of different types of thioether derivatives. Good to excellent yields, high reusability, and reproducibility made this cost-effective approach a benchmark in C–S cross-coupling reactions.