A Functionalized Heterogeneous Catalyst from Atomically Precise Pd1Au8 Clusters Facilitates Carbon-Carbon Bond Construction

It has become possible to establish a connection between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis with atomically precise metal clusters. Due to their defined coordination geometry, in this work, atomically precise Pd1Au8(PPh3)(8)(2+) clusters are exploited to identify the crucial factor that can impact the catalytic efficiency for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling process and further gain valuable insight into the exclusive cooperative effect of the central Pd atom and the peripheral Au atoms of the Pd1Au8(PPh3)(8)(2+) cluster on controlling the cross-coupling reaction. Specifically, a heterogeneous catalyst, namely Pd1Au8@Resin, is designed by exchanging positively charged Pd1Au8(PPh3)(8)(2+) clusters into the porous resin, thereby not only facilitating catalyst recyclability when performed in a batch reactor, but also realizing time-on-stream performance for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction carried out in a fixed-bed reactor. The integrated advantages of homogeneous complexes and heterogeneous catalysts are expected to advance the usability of atomically precise metal clusters as heterogeneous catalysts for important bond constructions in homogeneous systems.

Automated summary

It has been shown that atomically precise metal clusters, such as Pd1Au8(PPh3)(8)(2+), can play a crucial role in the catalytic efficiency of the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling process. The cooperative effect between the central Pd atom and the peripheral Au atoms in the Pd1Au8(PPh3)(8)(2+) cluster has been identified as a key factor in controlling the cross-coupling reaction. By incorporating these clusters into a porous resin, a heterogeneous catalyst called Pd1Au8@Resin has been developed, which demonstrates enhanced catalyst recyclability and continuous performance in the cross-coupling reaction.