Photothermal Suzuki Coupling Over a Metal Halide Perovskite/Pd Nanocube Composite Catalyst

The development of improved catalysts capable of performing the Suzuki coupling reaction has attracted considerable attention. Recent findings have shown that the use of photoactive catalysts improves the performance, while the reaction mechanism and temperature-dependent performance of such systems are still under debate. Herein, we report Pd nanocubes/CsPbBr3 as an efficient catalyst for the photothermal Suzuki reaction. The photo-induced and thermal contribution to the overall catalytic performance has been investigated. Light controls the activity at temperatures around and below 30 degrees C, while thermal catalysis determines the reactivity at higher temperatures. The Pd/CsPbBr3 catalyst exhibits 11 times higher activity than pure CsPbBr3 at 30 degrees C due to reduced activation barrier and facilitated charge carrier dynamics. Furthermore, the alkoxide radicals (R-O-) for the Suzuki reaction are experimentally and theoretically confirmed, and photogenerated holes are proven to be crucial for cleaving C-B bonds of phenylboronic acids to drive the reaction. This work prescribes a general strategy to study photothermal catalysis and offers a mechanistic guideline for photothermal Suzuki reactions.

Automated summary

The development of improved catalysts for Suzuki coupling reaction has gained significant attention. Recent findings suggest that the use of photoactive catalysts enhances performance, but the reaction mechanism and temperature-dependence of such systems are still debated. In this study, Pd nanocubes/CsPbBr3 are reported as efficient catalysts for photothermal Suzuki reaction, and the contributions of light and heat to catalytic performance are investigated.