Fluorapatite-supported palladium catalyst for Suzuki and Heck coupling reactions of haloarenes

A fluorapatite-supported palladium catalyst (PdFAP) was synthesized by treatment of fluorapatite (prepared by incorporating the basic species fluoride ion into apatite in situ by co-precipitation) with bis(benzonitrile)palladium(II) chloride in acetone. The catalyst displayed high catalytic activity for Suzuki coupling of aryl iodides and bromides with boronic acids at room temperature and chloroarenes at 130 degrees C in the presence of tetrabutylammonium bromide to give biaryls in excellent yields. Heck ole-fination of chloroarenes was also successfully carried out by this catalyst. PdFAP was recovered quantitatively by simple filtration and reused with consistent activity. PdFAP was well characterized by XRD, FTIR, XPS, ICP-AES, CO2 TPD and CHN elemental analysis.