Heterogeneous Suzuki and copper-free Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions catalyzed by a reusable palladium(II) complex in water medium

A new polystyrene anchored Pd(II) azo complex has been synthesized and characterized. The present Pd(II) azo complex behaves as a very efficient heterogeneous catalyst in the Suzuki coupling and Sonogashira coupling reaction in water medium. Aryl halides, coupled with phenylboronic acids (Suzuki–Miyaura reaction) or terminal alkyne (Sonogashira reaction), smoothly afford the corresponding cross-coupling products in excellent yields (83–100% yield for Suzuki reaction and 68–96% yield for Sonogashira reaction of aryl halides) under phosphine-free reaction conditions in the presence of polystyrene anchored Pd(II) azo complex catalyst in water medium. Furthermore, the catalyst has shown good thermal stability and recyclability. This polymer-supported Pd(II) catalyst could be easily recovered by simple filtration of the reaction mixture and reused for more than six consecutive trials without a significant loss of its catalytic activity.