Palladium nanoparticles supported on chitin-based nanomaterials as heterogeneous catalysts for the Heck coupling reaction

Tony Jin; Malickah Hicks; Davis Kurdyla; Sabahudin Hrapovic; Edmond Lam; Audrey Moores

doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.201

Palladium nanoparticles supported on chitin-based nanomaterials as heterogeneous catalysts for the Heck coupling reaction

Beilstein J Org Chem. 2020 Oct 7:16:2477-2483. doi: 10.3762/bjoc.16.201. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Tony Jin¹, Malickah Hicks¹, Davis Kurdyla², Sabahudin Hrapovic², Edmond Lam², Audrey Moores^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada.
² Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Montreal, Quebec H4P 2R2, Canada.
³ Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0E9, Canada.

Abstract

In this report, chitin and chitosan nanocrystals were used as biomass-based supports for Pd nanoparticles (NPs) used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the Heck coupling reaction. By using a one-pot fabrication method, a Pd salt precursor was directly reduced and deposited onto these nanocrystal catalysts. Characterization of these nanocomposites showed disperse Pd NPs on the surfaces of the chitinous nanocrystals. Heck coupling model reactions revealed full product yield in relatively benign conditions, outcompeting the use of other catalysts supported on biomass-based nanomaterials, including cellulose nanocrystals. These initial results show the potential for using chitinous nanomaterials as effective catalyst supports in cross-coupling reactions.

Keywords: Heck coupling; chitin; chitosan; heterogeneous catalysis; nanomaterial.

Grants and funding

We thank the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant and Discovery Accelerator Supplement, the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the National Research Council (NRC) New Beginnings Initiative Ideation fund, the Fonds de Research du Quebec Nature et Technologie (FRQNT) - Centre du Chimie Verte et Catalyse (CCVC), the National Research Council Canada (NRC), and McGill University for their financial support.