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Researchers at University of Tsukuba have developed a new palladium (Pd) precatalyst that combines exceptional stability with high catalytic performance. This precatalyst can be stored for extended periods under ambient conditions and suppresses undesirable side reactions during activation, highlighting its potential for the efficient synthesis of organic materials and pharmaceuticals.

Tsukuba, Japan—In chemical synthesis, catalysts are widely used to improve reaction efficiency. Among them, palladium-based catalysts play a central role in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, organic light-emitting diode materials, and other functional compounds, particularly through cross-coupling reactions recognized by the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. However, conventional Pd(0) catalysts are often unstable in air. In addition, Pd(II) precatalysts typically require an activation step that can trigger undesirable side reactions, such as ligand oxidation or byproduct formation.

Herein, a novel Pd(II) biaryl precatalyst was designed by precisely controlling its molecular structure. The precatalyst incorporates a chelating ligand and an electron-deficient aryl group to achieve long-term stability and controlled activation. Consequently, it remains stable in air in solid and solution states. Upon heating in the presence of phosphine ligands, it generates the catalytically active Pd(0) species without inducing significant side reactions, enabling clean and efficient catalytic processes.

These findings are expected to contribute to the development of pharmaceuticals and functional materials as well as to improved cost efficiency and reduced environmental impact in industrial chemical production.

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This work was partially supported by the Joint Usage/Research Project for Catalysis (No. 25DS0873 and 26DS0930).

Original Paper

Title of original paper:

Balancing Stability and Reactivity: A Robust Pd(II) Biaryl Precatalyst for Rapid Generation of Catalytically Active Pd(0) Species

Journal:

Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers

DOI:

10.1039/D6QI00664G

Correspondence

Associate Professor KUWABARA Junpei
Institute of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba

Related Link

Institute of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba