Heterogeneous Suzuki and copper-free Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions catalyzed by a reusable palladium(II) complex in water medium

A new polystyrene anchored Pd(II) azo complex has been synthesized and characterized. The present Pd(II) azo complex behaves as a very efficient heterogeneous catalyst in the Suzuki coupling and Sonogashira coupling reaction in water medium. Aryl halides, coupled with phenylboronic acids (Suzuki-Miyaura reaction) or terminal alkyne (Sonogashira reaction), smoothly afford the corresponding cross-coupling products in excellent yields (83-100% yield for Suzuki reaction and 68-96% yield for Sonogashira reaction of aryl halides) under phosphine-free reaction conditions in the presence of polystyrene anchored Pd(II) azo complex catalyst in water medium. Furthermore, the catalyst has shown good thermal stability and recyclability. This polymer-supported Pd(II) catalyst could be easily recovered by simple filtration of the reaction mixture and reused for more than six consecutive trials without a significant loss of its catalytic activity. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.