Catalytic activity of palladium supported on single wall carbon nanotubes compared to palladium supported on activated carbon

Nanoparticles (2–10nm) of palladium have been deposited on single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) by spontaneous reduction from Pd(OAc)2 or from oxime carbapalladacycle. These catalysts exhibit higher catalytic activity than palladium over activated carbon (Pd/C) for the Heck reaction of styrene and iodobenzene and for the Suzuki coupling of phenylboronic and iodobenzene. This fact has been attributed as reflecting the dramatic influence of the size particle on the activity of the palladium catalyst for CC bond forming reactions as compared to other reaction types less demanding from the point of view of the particle size. Thus, in contrast to the Heck and Suzuki reactions, Pd/C is more active than palladium nanoparticles deposited on SWNT for the catalytic oxidation by molecular oxygen of cinnamyl alcohol to cinnamaldehyde and for the hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde to 3-phenylpropionaldehyde.