Scalable synthesis of catalysts for the Mizoroki-Heck cross coupling reaction: palladium nanoparticles assembled in a polymeric nanosphere

Palladium nano-spheres 160 nm in diameter, as an assembly of uniform 5 nm nanoparticles, are accessible using a facile one step method under continuous flow on a spinning disc with hydrogen gas as the reducing agent. The stable colloidal system is an effective catalyst for the Mizoroki-Heck reaction, as established for the reaction between several aryl halides and n-butyl acrylate, and can be readily recycled without a change in their catalytic activity.