A micellar palladium catalyst stabilized by PEG-PVEG as a vinyl-functionalized amphiphilic polymer for Suzuki–Miyaura coupling in water

Abstract

An easily made and highly efficient vinyl-functionalized amphiphilic polymer, polyethylene glycol-polyvinylethylene glycol (PEG-PVEG), designed on the basis of metal–olefin interactions, has been developed via one-step allylic etherification polymerization. The superior performance of PEG-PVEG was demonstrated in the aqueous Suzuki–Miyaura coupling of diverse substrates, facilitated by various palladium catalysts with very high efficiency. This effectiveness was further validated through gram-scale transformations, API intermediate synthesis, and recycling studies. This remarkable achievement stems from the self-assembly of PEG-PVEG, which not only provides a hydrophobic microenvironment for reactions but also stabilizes palladium catalysts via vinyl groups in micelles, as confirmed by ³¹P NMR analysis and control experiments.