Efficient and recyclable carbon-supported Pd nanocatalysts for the Suzuki–Miyaura reaction in aqueous-based media: Microwave vs conventional heating

• New PdNPs on carbon materials nanocatalysts were prepared and fully characterized.
• The nanocatalysts were found to be highly active in the Suzuki coupling reaction.
• The hybrid systems were re-used up to 10 times without any loss of activity in PEG.
• Reaction media was found to influence strongly the re-use of the nanocatalysts.

Three new hybrid nanocatalysts based on carbon-supported Pd nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by decomposition of an organometallic palladium precursor under H2 atmosphere in the presence of carbon materials with different surface and textural properties. The so-obtained Pd NPs displayed mean sizes in the range of 2–2.5 nm. The hybrid nanocatalysts were evaluated in the aqueous Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction under both conventional and microwave heating. Excellent activities were obtained at short reaction times (5–10 min) reaching TOF values up to 3000 h−1 under microwave radiation. Recycling studies showed that the nanocatalysts could be re-used up to 10 (conventional heating) and to 5 (microwave irradiation) reaction cycles without any loss of activity. The reaction media was found to have a strong influence on the recyclability of the nanocatalysts, which could be improved in the presence of polyethylene glycol.

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