Efficient and Recyclable Catalyst of Palladium Nanoparticles Stabilized by Polymer Micelles Soluble in Water for Suzuki-Miyaura Reaction, Ostwald Ripening Process with Palladium Nanoparticles

The Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of ArX (I, Br) with Ar′B(OH) 2 , catalyzed by Pd-containing water-soluble micelle formed by PS-PEO copolymer and N-cetylpyridinium chloride as a surfactant, was studied in water and methanol. The reaction was performed under mild conditions (temperature up to 50 °C) and the catalyst can be recycled (5 runs) by ultrafiltration without any loss of its catalytic activity. The phenomenon was observed, consisting in growing Pd-nanoparticle size because the small nanoparticles dissolve to form larger nanoparticles in the course of reaction as well as in the presence of the only reagent, ArI. In the latter case, additionally, the formation of very small, not completely dissolved Pd nanoparticles, obviously having a high catalyst activity, is observed. This observation, together with the catalyst activity data might have an implication for a leaching mechanism for the studied catalytic system.