On the Roles of Solid-Bound Ligand Scavengers in the Removal of Palladium Residues and in the Distinction between Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysis

New insights into catalysis for Heck reactions with fine supported Pd particles

The catalytic activity over supported Pd particles is dependent on the concentration of soluble active Pd species. The correlation that the smaller the size of supported Pd particles, the higher the catalytic activity is confirmed.

Homogeneous vs. heterogeneous: mechanistic insights into iron group metal-catalyzed reductions from poisoning experiments

Iron group catalysts constitute a promising alternative to well-established noble metal catalysts in reduction reactions. This review advocates the use of kinetic poisoning experiments to distinguish between homotopic and heterotopic mechanisms.

About Solid Phase vs. Liquid Phase in Suzuki-Miyaura Reaction

A critical review of conclusions about the putative heterogeneous mechanism in the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling by supported Pd solids is reported. In the first section, the turnover frequencies (TOF) of 20 well-established homogeneous catalysts are shown to be in the range 200 to 1,000,000,000 h − 1 . The evidences used to prove a heterogeneous mechanism are discussed and another interpretation is proposed, hypothesizing that only the leached species are responsible for the catalytic reaction, even at ppb levels. Considering more than 40 published catalytic systems for which liquid phase Pd content have been reported, activities have been computed based on leached Pd concentrations and are shown to be in the range TOF 150 to 70,000,000 h − 1 . Such values are compatible with those found for the well-established homogeneous catalysts which questions the validity of the conclusions raised by many papers about the heterogeneous (solid) nature of Suzuki-Miyaura catalysis. Last, a tentative methodology is proposed which involves the rational use of well-known tests (hot-filtration test, mercury test…) to help to discriminate between homogeneous and heterogeneous mechanisms.

Palladium-scavenging self-assembled hybrid hydrogels - reusable highly-active green catalysts for Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions

A hybrid hydrogel based on 1,3:2,4-dibenzylidene sorbitol (DBS) modified with acyl hydrazides combined with agarose was used for in situ reduction and binding of palladium from aqueous mixtures without the need for an external reducing agent. Palladium uptake was monitored and the formation of Pd nanoparticles (PdNPs) trapped within the gel and located close to the nanofibres was confirmed. This gel effectively scavenges palladium from solution to concentrations < 0.04 ppm - well below the recommended limits for pharmaceutical products. The resulting hybrid hydrogel with embedded PdNPs was used as a catalyst for Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions. The gel network stabilises PdNPs, preventing aggregation/leaching and giving excellent catalytic lifetimes. The gel acts as a simple reaction dosing form, being simply added to reactions performed in green solvents in air. Once reactions are complete, the gel can be simply removed, recycled and reused (>10 times). Reactions were purified by simple washing protocols, and leaching of Pd from the gels is limited (<1 ppm). The gels were also used in flow-through mode, giving efficient, rapid reactions, with easy work-up. These catalytic gels combine advantages of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts - they are solvent compatible with the reaction taking place in a solution-like environment, while the solid-like gel network enables catalyst recycling. In summary, these hydrogels scavenge 'waste' palladium and convert it into gel 'wealth' capable of efficient, environmentally-friendly Suzuki-Miyaura catalysis.

Influence of Graphene Oxide Supports on Solution-Phase Catalysis of Thiolate-Protected Palladium Nanoparticles in Water

The influence of graphene oxide supports and thiolate surface ligands on the catalytic activity of colloidal Pd nanoparticles for alkyne hydrogenation in water is investigated. The studies show that unsupported, water-soluble thiolate-capped Pd nanoparticle catalysts favor the semi-hydrogenation over full-hydrogenation of dimethyl acetylene dicarboxylate (DMAD) under the atmospheric pressure and at room temperature. Pd nanoparticles supported on graphene oxide exhibit a similar activity for the hydrogenation of DMAD, but they show an improved long-term colloidal stability in aqueous solution after multiple catalytic cycles. After the heat treatment of Pd nanoparticles supported on graphene oxide at 300 °C, these heated hybrids exhibit an enhanced catalytic activity towards the full-hydrogenation. Overall, the studies suggest some influences of graphene oxide supports on the stability and thiolate surface ligands on the activity and selectivity of Pd nanoparticle catalysts.

Mechanistic interpretation of selective catalytic hydrogenation and isomerization of alkenes and dienes by ligand deactivated Pd nanoparticles

Unsupported thiolate-capped palladium nanoparticle catalysts are found to be highly substrate-selective for alkene hydrogenation and isomerization. Steric and poisoning effects from thiolate ligands on the nanoparticle surface control reactivity and selectivity by influencing alkene adsorption and directing either di-σ or mono-σ bond formation. The presence of overlapping p orbitals and α protons in alkenes greatly influences the catalytic properties of deactivated palladium nanoparticles leading to easily predictable hydrogenation or isomerization products.

Development of a new palladium catalyst supported on phenolic resin

Palladium catalyst supported on phenolic resin: stable to oxygen and water, repeatedly usable, easily prepared and recovered from the reaction mixture and deformed on demand.

Is it homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysis derived from [RhCp*Cl2]2? In operando XAFS, kinetic, and crucial kinetic poisoning evidence for subnanometer Rh4 cluster-based benzene hydrogenation catalysis

Determining the true, kinetically dominant catalytically active species, in the classic benzene hydrogenation system pioneered by Maitlis and co-workers 34 years ago starting with [RhCp*Cl(2)](2) (Cp* = [η(5)-C(5)(CH(3))(5)]), has proven to be one of the most challenging case studies in the quest to distinguish single-metal-based "homogeneous" from polymetallic, "heterogeneous" catalysis. The reason, this study will show, is the previous failure to use the proper combination of: (i) in operando spectroscopy to determine the dominant form(s) of the precatalyst's mass under catalysis (i.e., operating) conditions, and then crucially also (ii) the previous lack of the necessary kinetic studies, catalysis being a "wholly kinetic phenomenon" as J. Halpern long ago noted. An important contribution from this study will be to reveal the power of quantitiative kinetic poisoning experiments for distinguishing single-metal, or in the present case subnanometer Rh(4) cluster-based catalysis, from larger, polymetallic Rh(0)(n) nanoparticle catalysis, at least under favorable conditions. The combined in operando X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy and kinetic evidence provide a compelling case for Rh(4)-based, with average stoichiometry "Rh(4)Cp*(2.4)Cl(4)H(c)", benzene hydrogenation catalysis in 2-propanol with added Et(3)N and at 100 °C and 50 atm initial H(2) pressure. The results also reveal, however, that if even ca. 1.4% of the total soluble Rh(0)(n) had formed nanoparticles, then those Rh(0)(n) nanoparticles would have been able to account for all the observed benzene hydrogenation catalytic rate (using commercial, ca. 2 nm, polyethyleneglycol-dodecylether hydrosol stabilized Rh(0)(n) nanoparticles as a model system). The results--especially the poisoning methodology developed and employed--are of significant, broader interest since determining the nature of the true catalyst continues to be a central, often vexing issue in any and all catalytic reactions. The results are also of fundamental interest in that they add to a growing body of evidence indicating that certain, appropriately ligated, coordinatively unsaturated, subnanometer M(4) transition-metal clusters can be relatively robust catalysts. Also demonstrated herein is that Rh(4) clusters are poisoned by Hg(0), demonstrating for the first time that the classic Hg(0) poisoning test of "homogeneous" vs "heterogeneous" catalysts cannot distinguish Rh(4)-based subnanometer catalysts from Rh(0)(n) nanoparticle catalysts, at least for the present examples of these two specific, Rh-based catalysts.