Structure and catalytic properties of Pd encapsulated in mesoporous silica SBA-15 fabricated by two-solvent strategy

The two-solvent method was employed to prepare Pd encapsulated in mesoporous silica (Pd/SBA-15). A 3.01 wt% Pd loading was achieved without the loss of pore ordering. Highly dispersed and uniform palladium nanoparticles could be detected using transmission electron microscopy confirming also the absence of large particles outside the mesopore silica. The catalytic activities of the Pd/SBA-15 nanocomposites were investigated in Heck coupling reactions with activated and non-activated aryl substrates. The Pd/SBA-15 nanocomposite exhibits excellent catalytic activities and reuse ability in air for the Heck carbon–carbon coupling reactions.