In this work, a new magnetically recoverable nanocatalyst was developed by covalent binding of a Schiff base ligand, N,N'-bis(3-salicylidenaminopropyl)amine (salpr), on the surface of silica coated magnetite nanoparticles (SCMNPs) and followed complexation with MoO(2)(acac)(2). Characterization of the prepared nanocatalyst was performed with different physicochemical methods such as FT-IR and atomic absorption spectroscopies, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). Finally, catalytic activity of the prepared MoO(2)salpr/SCMNPs was examined in the epoxidation of olefins with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) and cumene hydroperoxide (CHP). (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.