Monodisperse palladium nanoparticles supported on chemically derived graphene: highly active and reusable nanocatalysts for Suzuki{Miyaura cross-coupling reactions

Abstract

Addressed herein is the catalysis of monodisperse palladium nanoparticles (NPs) supported on chemically derived graphene (CDG) for the Suzuki{Miyaura cross-coupling of phenylboronic acid and various aryl halides. Monodis- perse Pd NPs were synthesized by the solution phase reduction of palladium(II) acetylacetonate with morpholine borane complex in oleylamine and deposited on CDG via the liquid phase self-assembly method. Colloidal Pd NPs and CDG-Pd catalyst were characterized by TEM, XRD, SEM, and ICP-MS analyses. The CDG-Pd catalyst showed high activity in the Suzuki{Miyaura cross-couplings of different aryl halides including iodides, bromides, and even chlorides with phenyl- boronic acid under mild conditions. More importantly, the reusability experiments revealed that CDG-Pd catalyst was highly durable by almost maintaining its inherent activity after the 15th catalytic cycle.