Synthesis of Pd(ii) organometal incorporated ordered Im3m mesostructural silica and its catalytic activity in a water-medium Sonogashira reaction

Abstract

A novel and reusable Pd(II) organometal functionalized SBA-16 catalyst was synthesized by the co-condensation of Pd[PPh₂(CH₂)₂Si(OCH₂CH₃)₃]₃Cl₂ and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). This catalyst possessed bicontinuous cubic Im3m mesostructure channels, which ensured the convenient diffusion of the reactant molecules into the pore channels. The catalyst exhibited a very high activity for the Sonogashira coupling reaction of aryl halides with phenylacetylene in water medium. Moreover, the synthesized catalyst could be separated from the reaction mixture by simple filtration and reused for up to five runs without significant loss in activity.