Catechol-Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes as Support for Pd Nanoparticles: a Recyclable System for the Heck Reaction

Carbon nanotubes have been covalently functionalized with catechol moieties through the formation of the corresponding aryl radicals obtained by reacting 4-aminocatechol with isoamyl nitrite. The functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes have been in turn used to immobilize Pd(II) ions on its surface forming catechol-Pd complexes, which were reduced to Pd nanoparticles (NPs). The so-obtained hybrid material has been characterized by means of thermogravimetric analysis coupled with differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This latter technique allowed to estimate the nanoparticle size (5.7 +/- 2.8 nm) whereas a palladium loading of 20.3 wt % has been found by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The carbon nanotube-catechol-Pd hybrid was used as catalyst in two C-C coupling reactions, namely Suzuki and Heck reactions, resulting recyclable for at least 9 times in the latter process. During the reuse Pd nanoparticles increase their dimension to 19.3 +/- 11.7 nm.