Palladium supported on zinc ferrite: A highly active, magnetically separable catalyst for ligand free Suzuki and Heck coupling

An efficient superparamagnetic solid catalyst has been synthesized by loading Pd(0) species during synthesis of zinc ferrite nanoparticles by ultrasound assisted co-precipitation in the absence of surface stabilizer or capping agent. Various techniques were employed to characterize the as-synthesized Pd–ZnFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles. The catalyst showed excellent performance for Suzuki and Heck coupling reactions under ligand free condition. The catalyst being super paramagnetic was separated by using an external magnet and reused for five cycles without any appreciable loss in the activity.

An efficient superparamagnetic Pd–ZnFe2O4 nanoparticle has been synthesized by ultrasound assisted co-precipitation in the absence of surface stabilizer or capping agent. The catalyst showed excellent performance for Suzuki and Heck coupling reactions under ligand free condition. The recyclability of the catalyst was tested for five consecutive cycles.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights
► A highly efficient Pd–ZnFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticle were synthesized and used for ligand free Suzuki and Heck cross coupling reactions.
► The magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized by ultrasound assisted co-precipitation method in the absence of any surface stabilizers or capping agent.
► General applicability of the developed protocol was investigated.
► The catalyst exhibited remarkable recyclability for five consecutive cycles.