Nanosized palladium supported on diethylenetriamine modified superparamagnetic polymer composite microspheres: Synthesis, characterization and application as catalysts for the Suzuki reactions

•Fe3O4/P(GMA-AA-MMA) with high saturation magnetization value were prepared.•Diethylenetriamine modified Fe3O4/P(GMA-AA-MMA) was used to support Pd catalyst.•Suzuki reactions of arylbromides with ArB(OH)2 can be conducted by the catalyst.•This magnetic catalyst can be recovered by applying a permanent magnet externally.•Fe3O4/P(GMA-AA-MMA)–Pd showed higher activity than the conventional catalyst.

Superparamagnetic polymer composite microspheres Fe3O4/P(GMA-AA-MMA) prepared by an emulsifier free emulsion polymerization using DPE as free radical control agent were used to support palladium nanoparticles. The magnetic catalyst can provide excellent reactivity in the Suzuki coupling reactions of aryl halides with phenylboronic acids under mild condition (at 80 °C) in EtOH/H2O (1:1) mixture. Furthermore, the novel catalyst can be conveniently recovered by an external magnet field and reused at least five times without significant loss of its catalytic activity.

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