Palladium Nanoparticles Anchored on Magnesium Organosilicate: An Effective and Selective Catalyst for the Heck Reaction

Abstract A new and effective palladium catalyst supported on a magnesium organosilicate for application in the Heck reaction is presented. A group of compounds comprising 22 examples were synthesized in moderate to high yields (up to 99%) within a short time. The palladium supported on magnesium organosilicate catalyst was characterized as an amorphous solid by SEM, containing around 33% of palladium inside the solid, and even with this low quantity of palladium, the catalyst was very efficient in the Heck reaction. Besides, based on the Scherrer equation, the crystallite size of the synthesized palladium nanoparticles was ultrasmall (around 1.3 nm). This strategy is a simple and efficient route for the formation of C–C bonds via the Heck cross-coupling reaction.