Cellulose Sponge Supported Palladium Nanoparticles as Recyclable Cross-Coupling Catalysts

Robust and flexible cellulose sponges were prepared by dual-cross-linking cellulose nanofiber (CNF) with γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and polydopamine (PDA) and used as carriers of metal nanoparticles (NPs), such as palladium (Pd). In situ growth of Pd NPs on the surface of CNF was achieved in the presence of polydopamine (PDA). The modified sponges were characterized with FT-IR, XRD, EDX, SEM, TEM, and TGA. XRD, EDX, and TEM results revealed that the Pd NPs were homogeneously dispersed on the surface of CNF with a narrow size distribution. The catalysts could be successfully applied to heterogeneous Suzuki and Heck cross-coupling reactions. Leaching of Pd was negligible and the catalysts could be conveniently separated from the products and reused.