Facile Preparation of Linear Polystyrene-Stabilized Palladium Nanoparticles

Significance

Polystyrene-stabilized Pd nanoparticles were prepared and applied to the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction in water. Thus, a mixture of Pd(OAc)₂ and polystyrene in an aqueous K₂CO₃ solution was stirred at 90 ˚C for one hour to give the polystyrene-stabilized Pd nanoparticles 1 (Pd/polystyrene = 2.5 mmol/g). The Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction of bromobenzene (2) with tolylboronic acid (3) was carried out in the presence of catalyst 1 (1.5 mol% of Pd) in water to give 4-methylbiphenyl (4a) in 99% yield.