Palladium nanoparticles as efficient green homogeneous and heterogeneous carbon-carbon coupling precatalysts: a unifying view

Pd catalysis of C-C bond formations is briefly reviewed from the angle of nanoparticles (NPs) whether they are homogeneous or heterogeneous precatalysts and whether they are intentionally preformed or generated from a Pd derivative such as Pd(OAc)2. The most studied reaction is the Heck coupling of halogenoarenes with olefins that usually proceeds at high temperature (120-160 degrees C). Under such conditions, the PdII precursor is reduced to Pd0, forming PdNPs from which Pd atom leaching, subsequent to oxidative addition of the aryl halide onto the PdNP surface, is the source of very active molecular catalysts. Other C-C coupling reactions (Suzuki, Sonogashira, Stille, Negishi, Hiyama, Corriu-Kumada, Ullmann, and Tsuji-Trost) can also be catalyzed by species produced from preformed PdNPs. For catalysis of these reactions, leaching of active Pd atoms from the PdNPs may also provide a viable molecular mechanistic scheme. Thus, the term "PdNP catalysis of C-C coupling" used in this review refers to this function of PdNPs as precursors of catalytically active Pd species (i.e., the PdNPs are precatalysts of C-C coupling reactions).     

Palladium catalysis using dendrimers: molecular catalysts versus nanoparticles

Dendritic Pd catalysts, dendrimer-stabilized Pd nanoparticle (PdNP) catalysts, and their comparison and combined use for carbon–carbon coupling reactions are discussed with emphasis on the research carried out in the author’s laboratory during the last decade. Multinuclear star-shaped catalysts rather than dendritic catalysts can reach the efficiency of the best monometallic catalysts, whereas PdNPs stabilized by dendrimers can react with turnover numbers close to 10⁶ and bring useful mechanistic indications. In both areas, leaching issues are examined. Finally, results of the literature in asymmetric Pd catalysis by chiral dendrimers and Pd nanoparticles stabilized by chiral ligands are also reviewed, revealing the importance of the dendritic and molecular ligand design and the role of leaching Pd atoms.     

Recyclable Polymer‐Supported Nanometal Catalysts in Water

Two types of polymer‐supported nanometal catalysts with high catalytic activity and recyclability in water have been developed. One catalyst was composed of linear polystyrene‐stabilized metal nanoparticles (PS‐MtNPs). A palladium catalyst (PS‐PdONPs) was prepared in water by the thermal decomposition of Pd(OAc)₂ in the presence of polystyrene. The degree of immobilization of Pd, but not the size of the Pd nanoparticles, was dependent on the molecular weight and cross‐linking of the polystyrene. The PS‐PdONPs exhibited high catalytic activity for Suzuki, Heck, and Sonogashira coupling reactions in water and they could be recycled without loss of activity. Linear polystyrene was also suitable as a stabilizer for in situ generated PdNPs and PtNPs. The second catalyst was a polyion complex that was composed of poly[4‐chloromethylstyrene‐co‐(4‐vinylbenzyl)tributylammonium chloride] and poly(acrylic acid)‐stabilized PdNPs (PIC‐PdNPs). Aggregation and redispersion of PIC‐PdNPs were easily controlled by adjusting the pH value of the solution.     

Formation and propagation of well-defined Pd nanoparticles (PdNPs) during C–H bond functionalization of heteroarenes: are nanoparticles a moribund form of Pd or an active catalytic species?

Examination of a series of C–H bond functionalization reactions of heteroarenes (e.g., indole, benzoxazole, benzthiazole, benzimidazole and purine derivatives) mediated by Pd(OAc)₂, a commonly used C–H bond functionalization catalyst, reveals that well-defined Pd nanoparticles (PdNPs) are rapidly formed under working catalyst conditions. The PdNPs can be characterized ex situ after entrapment in a polymer matrix (polyvinylpyrrolidinone, PVP). Independently synthesized Pd(PVP)NPs are catalytically competent species, exhibiting catalyst activity commensurate with Pd(OAc)₂ in several C–H bond functionalization reactions. Across a range of reactions, Pd concentration is a common variable, which can be linked to the propagation of PdNPs under working catalytic conditions using polar solvents like DMF, DMSO and acetic acid.     

Liquid Metal as Bioinspired and Unusual Modulator in Bioorthogonal Catalysis for Tumor Inhibition Therapy

Bioorthogonal catalysis mediated by Pd-based transition metal catalysts has sparked increasing interest in combating diseases. However, the catalytic and therapeutic efficiency of current Pd⁰ catalysts is unsatisfactory. Herein, inspired by the concept that ligands around metal sites could enable enzymes to catalyze astonishing reactions by changing their electronic environment, a LM-Pd catalyst with liquid metal (LM) as an unusual modulator has been designed to realize efficient bioorthogonal catalysis for tumor inhibition. The LM matrix can serve as a “ligand” to afford an electron-rich environment to stabilize the active Pd⁰ and promote nucleophilic turnover of the π-allylpalladium species to accelerate the uncaging process. Besides, the photothermal properties of LM can lead to the enhanced removal of tumor cells by photo-enhanced catalysis and photothermal effect. We believe that our work will broaden the application of LM and motivate the design of bioinspired bioorthogonal catalysts.     

Synergistic Hybrid Catalyst for Ethanol Detection: Enhanced Performance of Platinum Palladium Bimetallic Nanoparticles Decorated Graphene on Glassy Carbon Electrode

The present study highlights the first time use of hybrid synergy electrocatalysis to design a cost effective, non-enzymatic ethanol sensor. The nanohybrid has been synthesized by decorating platinum palladium bimetallic nanoparticles (Pt?PdNPs) on graphene nanosheets (G/Pt?PdNPs). Field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, electrochemical measurements and UV-Vis spectrophotometry have been used to characterize the nanocomposite. An ethanol oxidation current of 332 μA was obtained with the use of G/Pt?PdNPs modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) that is 167 times higher than that of bare GCE in cyclic voltammetry studies with a potential scan rate of 50 mV/s in 0.1 M NaOH as the supporting electrolyte. Chronoamperometry studies have shown a distinct increase in the current for increasing concentration of ethanol with a wide range of linearity extending from 5 mM to 3 M and a detection limit of 1 mM with the use of G/Pt?PdNPs. Quantum mechanical modeling using density functional theory was used to arrive at the minimization energies of G/Pd, G/Pt and G/Pt?Pd in the presence and absence of ethanol. The improved catalytic activity of G/Pt?PdNPs nanocomposite for ethanol detection is on account of the cooperative effects of Pt and PdNPs, coupled with the high conducting nature of graphene.     

Behavior of Palladium Nanoparticles in the Absence or Presence of Cobalt Tetraaminophthalocyanine for the Electrooxidation of Hydrazine

We report on the electrodeposition of palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and onto a poly‐CoTAPc‐GCE (CoTAPc=cobalt tetraamino phthalocyanine) surface. The electrodes are denoted as PdNPs‐GCE and PdNPs/poly‐CoTAPc‐GCE, respectively. PdNPs/poly‐CoTAPc‐GCE showed the best activity for the oxidation of hydrazine at the lowest potential of ?0.28 V and with the highest currents. The results were further supported by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) which showed that there was less resistance to charge transfer for PdNPs/poly‐CoTAPc‐GCE compared to PdNPs‐GCE. The catalytic rate constant for hydrazine oxidation was 6.12×10⁸ cm³ mol^?1 s^?1 using PdNPs/poly‐CoTAPc‐GCE.     

Poly(thiophene-3-acetic acid)-palladium nanoparticle composite modified electrodes for supersensitive determination of hydrazine

 A promising electrochemical sensor was fabricated by electrodeposition of Pd nanoparticles (PdNPs) on poly(thiophene-3-acetic acid) (PTAA)-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE), forming a PdNPs/PTAA composites-modified GCE (PdNPs/PTAA/GCE). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electrochemical techniques were used for the characterization of these composites. It was found that the PdNPs/PTAA layer was very uniform. Electrochemical experiments showed that this proposed PdNPs/PTAA composites-modified electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of hydrazine. Under the optimum conditions, the proposed sensor can be applied to the quantification of hydrazine with a wide linear range from 8.0?10^-9 mol/L to 1.0?10^-5 mol/L with a low detection limit of 2.67?10^-9 mol/L. The experiment results also showed that the sensor exhibited good reproducibility and long-term stability, as well as high selectivity with no interference from other potential competing species.     

A DNA-Gated and Self-Protected Bioorthogonal Catalyst for Nanozyme-Assisted Safe Cancer Therapy

Transition metal catalysts (TMCs) mediated bioorthogonal uncaging catalysis has sparked increasing interest in prodrug activation. However, due to their “always-on” catalytic activity as well as the complex and catalytic-detrimental intracellular environment, the biosafety and therapeutic efficiency of TMCs are unsatisfactory. Herein, a DNA-gated and self-protected bioorthogonal catalyst has been designed by modifying nanozyme-Pd⁰ with highly programmable nucleic acid (DNA) molecules to achieve efficient intracellular drug synthesis for cancer therapy. Monolayer DNA molecules could endow the catalyst with targeting and perform as a gatekeeper to achieve selective prodrug activation within cancer cells. Meanwhile, the prepared graphitic nitrogen-doped carbon nanozyme with glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT)-like activities could improve the catalytic-detrimental intracellular environment to prevent the catalyst from being inactivated and sensitize the subsequent chemotherapy. Overall, we believe that our work will promote the development of secure and efficient bioorthogonal catalytic systems and provide new insights into novel antineoplastic platforms.     

A facile synthesis of palladium nanoparticles supported on functional carbon nanotubes and its novel catalysis for ethanol electrooxidation

In this study, a novel material, palladium nanoparticles-carboxylic functional carbon nanotubes (PdNPs-CFCNTs), based on PdNPs supported on CFCNTs was synthesized by a facile spontaneous redox method. The material reveals high electrochemical activity and excellent catalytic characteristic for alcohol electrooxidation on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) in an alkaline medium. The preparation mechanism was studied by the galvanic cell effect between PdCl₄²⁻ and functional defect sites on CFCNTs. Results from UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that the reduction of PdCl₄²⁻ to metallic Pd was successfully achieved. Morphologies of PdNPs supporting on CFCNTs (PdNPs-CFCNTs) were also characterized by transmission electron micrograph. PdNPs-CFCNTs with the best electrocatalytic characteristics were obtained under the condition as: the weight ratio of Pd to CFCNTs was kept at 2:1, the temperature was kept at 70 °C in the synthesis, and the scan rate of the applied potential was selected at 60 mV s⁻¹. The results indicate that PdNPs-CFCNTs could be a great potential material in direct ethanol fuel cells and ethanol sensors.     

Palladium Nanoparticles Bonded to Two‐Dimensional Iron Oxide Graphene Nanosheets: A Synergistic and Highly Reusable Catalyst for the Tsuji–Trost Reaction in Water and Air

Low cost, high activity and selectivity, convenient separation, and increased reusability are the main requirements for noble‐metal‐nanocatalyst‐catalyzed reactions. Despite tremendous efforts, developing noble‐metal nanocatalysts to meet the above requirements remains a significant challenge. Here we present a general strategy for the preparation of strongly coupled Fe₃O₄ and palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) to graphene sheets by employing polyethyleneimine as the coupling linker. Transmission electron microscopic images show that Pd and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles are highly dispersed on the graphene surface, and the mean particle size of Pd is around 3 nm. This nanocatalyst exhibits synergistic catalysis by Pd nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and a tertiary amine of polyethyleneimine (Pd/Fe₃O₄/PEI/rGO) for the Tsuji–Trost reaction in water and air. For example, the reaction of ethyl acetoacetate with allyl ethyl carbonate afforded the allylated product in more than 99 % isolated yield, and the turnover frequency reached 2200 h^?1. The yield of allylated products was 66 % for Pd/rGO without polyethyleneimine. The catalyst could be readily recycled by a magnet and reused more than 30 times without appreciable loss of activity. In addition, only about 7.5 % of Pd species leached off after 20 cycles, thus rendering this catalyst safer for the environment.     

Functionalization of Reduced Graphene Oxide with β‐cyclodextrin Modified Palladium Nanoparticles for the Detection of Hydrazine in Environmental Water Samples

A sensitive and selective hydrazine sensor was developed by β‐cyclodextrin modified palladium nanoparticles decorated reduced graphene oxide (PdNPs‐β‐CD/rGO) nanocomposite. The PdNPs‐β‐CD/rGO hybrid material was prepared by simple electrochemical method. The hydrophobic cavity of β‐CD ineracts with palladium nanoparticles by hydrophobic interaction and further it is uniformly assembled on the rGO surface through hydrogen bond formation, which is clearly confirmed by FT‐IR, FESEM and TEM. The high electrocatalytic activity of hydrazine oxidation was observed at −0.05 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) on PdNPs‐β‐CD/rGO modified electrode; due to the excellent stabilization, high catalytic activity and large surface area of the PdNPs‐β‐CD/rGO composite. The PdNPs‐β‐CD/rGO fabricated hydrazine sensor exhibited an excellent analytical performance, including high sensitivity (1.95 μA μM⁻¹ cm⁻²), lower detection limit (28 nM) and a wide linear range (0.05 to 1600 μM). We also demonstrated that the PdNPs‐β‐CD/rGO nanocomposite modified electrode is a highly selective and sensitive sensor towards detection of hydrazine among the various interfering species. Hence, the proposed hydrazine sensor is able to determine hydrazine in different water samples.     

Green synthesis of Pd truncated octahedrons using of firmiana simplex leaf extract and their catalytic study for electro‐oxidation of methanol and reduction of p‐nitrophenol

A facile and eco‐friendly biosynthetic route for preparing Pd truncated octahedrons (PdTOs) using firmiana simplex leaf extract was reported without any chemical reducing agents. The information of reducing components, reduction process and time were obtained by ATR‐FTIR imaging, FTIR and UV–Vis spectroscopy, respectively. TEM image revealed that more than 75% of PdNPs were composed of PdTOs with an average diameter of 9.2 nm. HR‐TEM analysis demonstrated that a single PdTO consisted of the mix of {100} and {111} crystal planes. SAED and XRD pattern confirmed the well crystalline nature of fcc structured PdTOs. The model reactions of electro‐oxidation of methanol and reduction of p‐nitrophenol (p‐NP) were adopted to explore the effects of structure and size of PdNPs on the catalytic properties. In the electro‐oxidation of methanol, the forward‐scan peak current density (If) of PdTOs was 10.05 mA cm‐2, 6.3 times and 1.9 times of PdNPs‐0 and PdNPs‐4:1, illustrating its superior electro‐catalytic property to that of spherical PdNPs. In the p‐NP reduction reaction, the apparent rate constant (Ka) over PdTOs was 0.358 min‐1, higher than spherical PdNPs‐0 (0.08 min‐1) with the similar particle size and lower than the same spherical PdNPs‐4:1 (0.562 min‐1) and commercial Pd/C (0.415 min‐1), which all about half the size of PdTOs. It has been demonstrated that electro‐chemical oxidation of methanol was a structure‐sensitive reaction, while the reduction of p‐NP was mainly dependent on the particle size of PdNPs.     

Carbon-Based Material-Supported Palladium Nanocatalysts in Coupling Reactions: Discussion on their Stability and Heterogeneity

Scientific interest in carbon-based materials (CBMs) has grown dramatically over the past few decades. Due to a variety of atomic orbital hybrid forms (sp, sp² and sp³ hybridization), carbon can form a variety of materials with diverse structures and characteristics. CBMs used as efficient catalyst supports show extensive promise in organic reactions, which is attributed to their structural similarity with organics, large specific surface area, chemical stability, and photocatalytic properties. This review presents the synthesis of CBM-supported palladium nanocatalysts based on impregnation, template methods, etc. The CBMs include activated carbon (AC), graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and their functionalized products, as supports for improving the activity and recyclability of simple Pd nanocatalysts. After surveying the literature where these catalysts have been utilized for carbon–carbon coupling reactions, there is a particular emphasis on Suzuki, Heck, and Sonogashira reactions. The catalytic mechanism of these Pd nanocatalysts (surface heterogeneous catalysis or homogeneous catalysis caused by Pd leaching) is discussed in detail, especially the effect of Pd leaching on the stability of the catalyst.     

Tetraglyme-mediated synthesis of Pd nanoparticles for dehydrogenation of ammonia borane

Palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) were conveniently prepared in tetraglyme (TG) solution using a variety of palladium precursors. At 140 °C, TG promoted Pd(3)(OAc)(6) to produce irregular shaped PdNPs with an average size of 4 nm. When these PdNPs were re-dispersed in TG and used for the dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (AB) at 85 °C, remarkably enhanced catalytic performance was achieved to release 2.3 equiv. of H(2) in 1 h.     

Localized Chemical Remodeling for Live Cell Imaging of Protein-Specific Glycoform

Live cell imaging of protein-specific glycoforms is important for the elucidation of glycosylation mechanisms and identification of disease states. The currently used metabolic oligosaccharide engineering (MOE) technology permits routinely global chemical remodeling (GCM) for carbohydrate site of interest, but can exert unnecessary whole-cell scale perturbation and generate unpredictable metabolic efficiency issue. A localized chemical remodeling (LCM) strategy for efficient and reliable access to protein-specific glycoform information is reported. The proof-of-concept protocol developed for MUC1-specific terminal galactose/N-acetylgalactosamine (Gal/GalNAc) combines affinity binding, off-on switchable catalytic activity, and proximity catalysis to create a reactive handle for bioorthogonal labeling and imaging. Noteworthy assay features associated with LCM as compared with MOE include minimum target cell perturbation, short reaction timeframe, effectiveness as a molecular ruler, and quantitative analysis capability.     

Gold‐Triggered Uncaging Chemistry in Living Systems

Recent advances in bioorthogonal catalysis are increasing the capacity of researchers to manipulate the fate of molecules in complex biological systems. A bioorthogonal uncaging strategy is presented, which is triggered by heterogeneous gold catalysis and facilitates the activation of a structurally diverse range of therapeutics in cancer cell culture. Furthermore, this solid‐supported catalytic system enabled locally controlled release of a fluorescent dye into the brain of a zebrafish for the first time, offering a novel way to modulate the activity of bioorthogonal reagents in the most fragile and complex organs.     

Intermetallic PdBi aerogels with improved catalytic performance for the degradation of organic pollutants in water

It is always highly pursued to develop efficient and durable catalysts for catalytic applications. Herein, intermetallic PdBi aerogels with tunable activity were prepared successfully via a surfactant-free spontaneous gelation process. The prepared PdBi aerogels have a three-dimensional high porous structure and plentiful active sites pervaded on the ultrathin interlinked nanowires network. These unique structures, as well as the synergistic effect between Pd and Bi, can accelerate mass and electron transfer, and improve the atom utilization ratio of Pd atoms to promote the catalytic efficiency. As a proof-of-concept application, the optimized Pd₂Bi₁ aerogels exhibit 4.2 and 6.2 times higher catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and methylene blue (MB) than those of commercial Pd/C, respectively. With the introduction of non-noble metal of Bi, the cost of the resulted PdBi aerogels can be dropped significantly while the catalytic capability of PdBi aerogel will be improved sharply. This strategy will bring good hints to rationally design fine catalysts for various applications.     

Pd–Pb Alloy Nanocrystals with Tailored Composition for Semihydrogenation: Taking Advantage of Catalyst Poisoning

Metallic nanocrystals (NCs) with well‐defined sizes and shapes represent a new family of model systems for establishing structure–function relationships in heterogeneous catalysis. Here in this study, we show that catalyst poisoning can be utilized as an efficient strategy for nanocrystals shape and composition control, as well as a way to tune the catalytic activity of catalysts. Lead species, a well‐known poison for noble‐metal catalysts, was investigated in the growth of Pd NCs. We discovered that Pb atoms can be incorporated into the lattice of Pd NCs and form Pd–Pb alloy NCs with tunable composition and crystal facets. As model catalysts, the alloy NCs with different compositions showed different selectivity in the semihydrogenation of phenylacetylene. Pd–Pb alloy NCs with better selectivity than that of the commercial Lindlar catalyst were discovered. This study exemplified that the poisoning effect in catalysis can be explored as efficient shape‐directing reagents in NC growth, and more importantly, as a strategy to tailor the performance of catalysts with high selectivity.     

Boosting the Activity of Pd Single Atoms by Tuning Their Local Environment on Ceria for Methane Combustion

Supported Pd single atom catalysts (SACs) have triggered great research interest in methane combustion yet with contradicting views on their activity and stability. Here, we show that the Pd SAs can take different electronic structure and atomic geometry on ceria support, resulting in different catalytic properties. By a simple thermal pretreatment to ceria prior to Pd deposition, a unique anchoring site is created. The Pd SA, taking this site, can be activated to Pd^δ+ (0<δ<2) that has greatly enhanced activity for methane oxidation: T₅₀ lowered by up to 130 °C and almost 10 times higher turnover frequency compared to the untreated catalyst. The enhanced activity of Pd^δ+ site is related to its oxygen-deficient local structure and elongated interacting distance with ceria, leading to enhanced capability in delivering reactive oxygen species and decomposing reaction intermediates. This work provides insights into designing highly efficient Pd SACs for oxidation reactions.