A PdCl2–ionic liquid brush assembly: an efficient and reusable catalyst for Mizoroki–Heck reaction in neat water

An efficient and reusable heterogeneous catalytic assembly of PdCl₂ held in ionic liquid brushes has been synthesized and an environmentally‐friendly procedure was developed for coupling aryl iodides with acrylic acid. These reactions were conducted in water under aerobic conditions with water‐insoluble or even solid aryl iodides and they proceeded smoothly and cleanly without any organic co‐solvent or other additives. A 0.5 mol% (based on Pd atom) dose of the catalyst was found to be sufficient for Mizoroki–Heck reaction. The catalyst is easily recovered post reaction, via simple filtration, and reused at least eight times without a noticeable loss of activity. The protocol has the advantages of excellent yield, environmental friendliness, and catalyst recyclability. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.