PCP-pincer palladium nanoparticles supported on modified Merrifield resin: A novel and efficient heterogeneous catalyst for carbon-carbon cross-coupling reactions

A new catalytic system of bisphosphinite PCP-pincer palladium complex based on Merrifield resin was synthesized and characterized. The presence of highly active form of Pd (0) was proved by XRD and XPS techniques. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image of the catalyst showed that palladium particles are well-dispersed through the support in the range of 30-50 nm. This catalytic system exhibited excellent catalytic activity in Mizoroki-Heck, Suzuki-Miyaura and Sonogashira-Hagihara cross-coupling reactions with different aryl halides including inactive aryl chlorides. Short reaction times and good to excellent yields of the desired products express the effectiveness of this catalyst. The catalyst was successfully re-used up to 10 runs without appreciable change in its activity with high TON. Hot filtration test showed low leaching of the metal into solution from the supported catalyst which confirmed the full heterogeneous character of the catalytically active species. (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.