Highly Active Bimetallic Nickel-Palladium Alloy Nanoparticle Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Reactions

Abstract

A bimetallic Ni-Pd alloy nanoparticle catalyst with a low palladium content (Ni0.90Pd0.10 nanocatalyst) was prepared and its catalytic performance in Suzuki-Miyaura reactions was evaluated along with that of other Ni-Pd nanocatalysts (with varying Ni/Pd molar ratios in the range of ≈0.25-0.75) and the corresponding monometallic, Ni and Pd, analogues. Notably, the bimetallic Ni0.90Pd0.10 alloy nanocatalyst performed exceptionally well for the synthesis of biaryls by employing a wide range of substituted aryl halides and arylboronic acids having electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups, and they exhibited high recyclability in water/ethanol solution at moderate reaction temperatures. Catalyst poisoning tests and leaching experiments inferred the heterogeneous nature of the Ni0.90Pd0.10 nanocatalysts. The significant synergistic interactions between Ni and Pd account for the observed high catalytic efficacy of the Ni0.90Pd0.10 nanocatalyst. Up, up, and alloy! Highly active bimetallic Ni-Pd alloy nanocatalysts with high Ni/Pd molar ratios facilitate the Suzuki-Miyaura reactions of a wide range of aryl iodides/bromides and arylboronic acids to biaryls in high yields at moderate temperatures in water/ethanol solution. High synergistic interaction between Ni and Pd accounts for the observed high activity and recyclability of the bimetallic Ni-Pd nanocatalysts. FG=functional group.