Enhancement in Heck reaction by SiC supported Pd nanoparticles under visible light irradiation

Heck reaction is one of the effective routes to form C-C bond, however the process still suffers problems from the separation and low-temperature activity of catalysts. Herein, Pd nanoparticles supported on SiC was prepared by a sample impregnation-reduction process. The Pd/SiC photocatalyst exhibited a high iodobenzene conversion of 99.6 % with 100 % selectivity to methyl cinnamate under visible light irradiation at 40 & DEG;C. The excellent performance is due to the good light absorption ability of Pd/SiC and effective charge separation through MottSchottky junction between Pd and SiC. The electron-rich Pd nanoparticles are favorable to activate C-I bond of iodobenzene, thus enhancing the photocatalytic activity for Heck reaction of iodobenzene and methyl acrylate.

Automated summary

In this study, Pd nanoparticles supported on SiC were prepared and used as a photocatalyst for Heck reaction. The Pd/SiC catalyst exhibited excellent performance with high iodobenzene conversion and selectivity to methyl cinnamate under visible light irradiation. This can be attributed to the good light absorption ability of Pd/SiC and effective charge separation facilitated by the Mott-Schottky junction between Pd and SiC. The electron-rich Pd nanoparticles activated the C-I bond of iodobenzene, enhancing the photocatalytic activity for the Heck reaction.