Development of heterogeneous catalysts that can help transform small organic molecules .

What is it about?

This work is about developing a Pd-based heterogeneous catalyst which can catalyze Heck and C-C coupling reactions, which can assist the formation of novel molecules by combining simple molecules. For example, imagine coupling two benzene rings. Similarly, oxidation of toxic carbon monoxide to relatively beningn carbon dioxide is of value in detoxifying automobile exhausts and so on. If such catalysts can be rendered heterogeneous, it favors ready separation of the catalyst and the product from the reaction medium and such catalyst when made to have high surface area they become extremely effective. This is because the reacting species can access all the catalyst sites with ease. Here we anchor Palladium nanoparticles on to a novel class of high surface area porous material called Covalent Organic Framework (COF). This can be best defined as near 100% crystalline porous polymers. This Pd@COF serves as an excellent catalyst for the above mentioned reactions.

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Why is it important?

This is important as the most well-known Pd catalysts for these coupling are homogeneous in nature. This means they are soluble in the reaction medium (solvent). When the reaction is done typically the catalyst is non-recoverable and hence becomes a concern, especially, considering the fact that Pd is costly. Now we have a highly active heterogeneous catalyst which can be removed by mere filtration and can be reused many times without loss of activity. In fact, we have composited this Pd@COF into for easy handling films by suspending them into solid Polymers.

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