Immobilization of palladium (II) complexes on ethylenediamine functionalized core–shell magnetic nanoparticles: An efficient and recyclable catalyst for aerobic oxidation of alcohols and carbonylative Suzuki coupling reaction

•A magnetically recoverable palladium-based catalyst was prepared.•The Fe3O4@SiO2–2N–Pd(II) catalyst is highly economical and easy-to-prepare.•The catalyst showed high activity for aerobic oxidation of alcohols and carbonylative Suzuki coupling reaction.•The “green” catalyst was easily recovered via external magnetic field.•The catalytic efficiency remains unaltered even after 6 repeated cycles.

A novel Pd(II) complex immobilized on ethylenediamine-functionalized core–shell magnetic nanoparticles [Fe3O4@SiO2–2N–Pd(II)] was successfully synthesized by a facile procedure, and various characterizations (TEM, XRD, FT-IR, TGA, XPS and VSM) were performed to identify its intrinsic features. The amino groups in two kinds from ethylenediamine-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2–2N) performed as robust anchors and efficient stabilizers during the fabrication of Fe3O4@SiO2–2N–Pd(II). As a heterogeneous phosphine-free Pd(II) complex catalyst, it showed excellent catalytic activity for aerobic oxidation of alcohols, and up to >99% yield of unsymmetrical biaryl ketone was obtained in the carbonylative Suzuki coupling reaction of carbon monoxide, 4-methylbenzeneboronic acid and the 4-iodonitrobenzene. Moreover, the catalyst could be completely recovered by magnetic separation from the reaction mixture and remained unaltered activity even after six repeated cycles.

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