Immobilized palladium nanoparticles within polymers as active catalysts for Suzuki-Miyaura reaction

A highly active and reusable catalyst Pd@PNP was developed for Suzuki-Miyaura reaction of aryl chlorides and bromides with aryl boronic acids, and the corresponding biphenyl compounds were obtained in good to excellent yields. Triphenylphosphine and palladium nanoparticles were immobilized in situ in the polymer formed from Pd catalyzed coupling of tris(4-bromophenyl)amine and benzene-1,4-diboronic acid. The immobilized triphenylphosphine enhanced the activity and the stability of the catalyst Pd@PNP, and the catalyst Pd@PNP can be reused at least 5 times with good activity. Functional groups, such as methoxyl, nitrile, tert-butyl, nitro, acyl and formyl groups, were well tolerated under the reaction conditions, and the corresponding products were obtained in high yields.