N,N-Dimethylformamide solvothermal strategy: From fabrication of palladium nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide nanosheets to their application in catalytic aminocarbonylation reactions

• We propose a strategy for applications ranging from the fabrication to the use.
• DMF could play the multiple roles during the solvothermal process.
• Palladium particles could be tuned by the solvothermal temperature.
• A new protocol for a ligand- and CO-free aminocarbonylation was demonstrated.
• SRGO-Pd catalysts demonstrated excellent catalytic activity and recyclability.

A facile N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solvothermal strategy has been developed to fabricate palladium nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (SRGO-Pd), which efficiently catalyze the aminocarbonylation of aryl halides. The palladium nanoparticles were uniformly anchored on the reduced graphene oxide nanosheets by a one-step DMF solvothermal approach. During the process, the palladium particles on the reduced graphene oxide nanosheets were tuned by the solvothermal temperature. DMF did not only play the role of the reductant for graphite oxide and Pd2+, but also restrained the aggregation of the graphene sheets and stabilized the palladium nanoparticles. Under DMF solvothermal conditions, SRGO-Pd catalysts demonstrated an excellent catalytic activity and good recyclability for the aminocarbonylation reaction of aryl halides without using carbon monoxide and any other additive. The SRGO-Pd catalyst could be recycled at least eight times with sustained activity. Such a strategy represents a promising route for applications ranging from the fabrication of graphene-supported materials to the use as catalysts.

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