Preparation of Pd nanoparticles deposited on a polyaniline/multiwall carbon nanotubes nanocomposite and their application in the Heck reaction

Abstract

In this work, we described the synthesis of a nanocatalyst, which consists of polyaniline (PANI)/multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and the deposited Pd nanoparticles. FT-IR, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the nanocatalyst. The interaction between PANI and MWCNTs have been explained according to the results of the FT-IR and XRD analysis. This complex was an efficient catalyst for the Heck reactions of acrylic acid with aryl iodides in air at low temperature (60 °C) using 0.9 mol% Pd of the catalyst. Furthermore, it also exhibited catalytic properties for the bromide and activated chlorobenzene. The yield of cinnamic acid was 71 % for the Heck reaction of acrylic acid with iodobenzene even though the complex was used nine times.