Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Modified with Carbon Quantum Nanodots for the Stabilization of Palladium Nanoparticles: An Efficient Catalyst for the Suzuki Reaction in Aqueous Media under Mild Conditions

Magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) functionalized with carbon dots (C-dots) that contain carboxylic acid and hydroxyl groups were synthesized successfully and used for the reduction of Pd-II and the formation of Pd NPs. The new material was characterized by SEM, TEM, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, solid UV spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, XRD, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and was used as a very efficient catalyst in the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of aryl bromides and chlorides with arylboronic acids in aqueous media. Design of experiments indicates that the use of 0.22 mol% of Pd, K2CO3 as the base, and aqueous ethanol are the best reaction conditions. The reactions of aryl bromides take place at room temperature, and aryl chlorides react at 808 degrees. The easily synthesized and air-stable catalyst Pd@C-dots@ Fe3O4 NPs could be separated from the reaction mixture by using an external magnet and reused in eight consecutive runs with no significant loss of catalytic activity.