Catalysis in flow: Operando study of Pd catalyst speciation and leaching

•A custom-made plug flow reactor (PFR) was constructed for examining Pd catalysis.•Leaching/reaction profiles of two Pd catalysts for the Suzuki–Miyaura reaction were established by filtration studies.•The PFR was used to examine catalyst activation and deactivation processes.•Ethanol was found to affect the catalysts differently.•Leaching and speciation of Pd along the catalyst bed has been observed for the very first time.

A custom-made plug flow reactor was designed and constructed to examine the behaviour of Pd catalysts during Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions. Spatial-temporal resolution of catalyst activation, deactivation and leaching processes can be obtained by single-pass experiments. Subsequent deployment of the flow reactor in a XAS beam line revealed speciation of Pd along the catalyst bed.

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