Microwave Assisted Synthesis of Palladium Nanoparticles in an Aqueous Emulsion of Copolymer: Application to Catalysis

Palladium nanoparticles were prepared in a few minutes using polyol assisted-microwave process. This synthesis based on the reduction of metal salt (k(2)PdCl(4)) in ethylene glycol medium in presence of an aqueous emulsion of copolymers (latex) as a reducing and stabilizer agent. The products were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy infrared spectroscopy transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, selected area electron diffraction patterns, and high-resolution transmission electron micrographs. We have found spherical homogeneous Pd nanoparticles with narrow particles size distributions. In addition, we used Pd-latex-EG nanofluid emulsion for catalyzing organic reactions including Suzuki, Heck and the Sonogashira reactions. As a result, we have successfully demonstrated the crucial effect of latex copolymer for reducing and capping Pd nanoparticle. We point out that the presence of the polymer molecules don't affect the catalytic effect which mainly due to the Pd metallic nanoparticles.