Pd Nanoparticles-Loaded Honeycomb-Structured Bio-nanocellulose as a Heterogeneous Catalyst for Heteroaryl Cross-Coupling Reaction

Distorted honeycomb-like hollow cage-structured bio-nanocellulose (with 1–16.7 μm diameters) is derived from cellulosic waste of pomegranate peel using a simple microwave technique in water under neutral conditions without using external chemicals in a very short period of time. Pd nanoparticles are loaded onto the bio-nanocellulose surface by simple stirring at room temperature (25 °C) and characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analyses, and so on. The newly developed nanocomposite material has been utilized as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of potential bioactive biaryl/heterobiaryl and alkynyl/heteroalkynyl derivatives up to 98% yield via the Suzuki–Miyaura and Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions. The catalyst is reusable up to five catalytic cycles without significant loss of its catalytic activity.