Interface Engineering in Two-Dimensional Heterostructures: Towards an Advanced Catalyst for Ullmann Couplings

The design of advanced catalysts for organic reactions is of profound significance. During such processes, electrophilicity and nucleophilicity play vital roles in the activation of chemical bonds and ultimately speed up organic reactions. Herein, we demonstrate a new way to regulate the electro- and nucleophilicity of catalysts for organic transformations. Interface engineering in two-dimensional heteronanostructures triggered electron transfer across the interface. The catalyst was thus rendered more electropositive, which led to superior performance in Ullmann reactions. In the presence of the engineered 2D Cu2S/MoS2 heteronanostructure, the coupling of iodobenzene and para-chlorophenol gave the desired product in 92% yield under mild conditions (100 degrees C). Furthermore, the catalyst exhibited excellent stability as well as high recyclability with a yield of 89% after five cycles. We propose that interface engineering could be widely employed for the development of new catalysts for organic reactions.