The role of immobilization supports for light-assisted Suzuki coupling reaction with low-loading Pd nanocatalyst

Abstract

This work investigates the impact of immobilization supports on the performance of Pd nanocatalysts in lightinduced Suzuki coupling reactions by utilizing two model supports, mesoporous silica (SBA-15) and covalent triazine framework (CTF-Ph). Despite comparable Pd loading (0.3-0.5 wt%) and chemical states, under visible light illumination, Pd/CTF-Ph demonstrated a remarkable 40% reduction in activation energy, outperforming the 16% decrease observed with Pd/SBA-15. This superior performance is attributed to the light-absorbing properties of CTF-Ph and its facilitated pi-pi interaction toward reagents on the catalyst surface. Our findings offer valuable insights into the development of effective catalysts for light-assisted C-C bond formation reactions.