Boosting Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction by low-palladium-loading PdO-ZnO/La2O3 photothermal catalysts

Controllable construction of hollow tubular structures and the mechanism of photo-thermal synergistic catalysis. • The incorporation of Zn facilitates the directional transfer of photoexcited electrons to Pd, tailoring its electronic structure. • Exceptional catalytic performance (TOF = 4234h −1 ) and atomic utilization efficiency achieved under ultralow palladium loading. Photothermal synergy offers a promising pathway to overcome the limitations of high energy demands and stringent reaction conditions associated with conventional Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction. Herein, a hollow tubular palladium oxide-zinc oxide/lanthanum oxide nano photothermal catalyst (PdO-ZnO/La 2 O 3 ) was successfully synthesized via electrospinning combined with high-temperature pyrolysis. The as-prepared material exhibited outstanding photothermal catalytic activity in the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction, achieving a 98% yield of biphenyl within 30 min under mild conditions and delivering a turnover frequency (TOF) as high as 4234.1 h -1 . The superior catalytic activity is attributed to the transfer of photogenerated electrons from Zinc species to palladium species under visible light irradiation, facilitating the formation of electron-rich palladium active sites. This synergistic effect significantly enhances the reaction rate of the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling. This catalyst achieves high catalytic activity with only 0.5 wt% Pd loading, outperforming prior reported systems by maintaining excellent performance while drastically lowering Pd consumption and enhancing precious metal utilization efficiency. Furthermore, the catalyst retained over 92% of its performance after five reaction cycles, demonstrating robust recyclability and sustained catalytic performance. This study provides new insights for the development of high-performance and low-energy photothermal catalysts and facilitates the practical application of Suzuki-Miyaura reactions in green synthesis. Download: Download high-res image (166KB) Download: Download full-size image