PCP-pincer palladium nanoparticles supported on modified Merrifield resin: A novel and efficient heterogeneous catalyst for carbon–carbon cross-coupling reactions

•Synthesis and characterization of a supported palladium catalyst.•Colloidal Pd (0) nanoparticles dispersed through the support.•Heck, Suzuki and copper-free Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction using this catalyst.•The catalyst recycled several times due to negligible leaching of the metal.

A new catalytic system of bisphosphinite PCP-pincer palladium complex based on Merrifield resin was synthesized and characterized. The presence of highly active form of Pd (0) was proved by XRD and XPS techniques. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image of the catalyst showed that palladium particles are well-dispersed through the support in the range of 30–50 nm. This catalytic system exhibited excellent catalytic activity in Mizoroki–Heck, Suzuki–Miyaura and Sonogashira–Hagihara cross-coupling reactions with different aryl halides including inactive aryl chlorides. Short reaction times and good to excellent yields of the desired products express the effectiveness of this catalyst. The catalyst was successfully re-used up to 10 runs without appreciable change in its activity with high TON. Hot filtration test showed low leaching of the metal into solution from the supported catalyst which confirmed the full heterogeneous character of the catalytically active species.

Graphical abstractA new catalyst of pincer palladium complex based on Merrifield resin was synthesized and characterized. The presence of Pd (0) was proved by XRD and XPS techniques. TEM image of the catalyst showed palladium particles in nanometer size. The catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic activity in Heck, Suzuki and Sonogashira reactions. Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide