Selective hydrogenation and Suzuki cross‐coupling reactions of various organic substrates using a reusable polymer‐anchored palladium(II) Schiff base complex

A new polymer‐anchored Pd(II) Schiff base complex has been prepared and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, elemental analysis, atomic absorption spectroscopy, TGA and spectrometric methods such as diffuse reflectance spectra of solid and FT‐IR spectroscopy. This polymer‐anchored palladium catalyst shows excellent catalytic activity in the liquid‐phase hydrogenation reaction of styrene oxide to obtain selectively 2‐phenylethanol at normal pressure of hydrogen gas (1 atm.) at room temperature in DMF medium. We have also studied the liquid‐phase hydrogenation reaction of various organic substrates. The catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic activity for the Suzuki cross‐coupling of various substituted and non‐substituted aryl halides. The influences of various parameters were investigated to optimize reaction conditions. The reusability experiments show that the catalyst can be used five times without much loss in catalytic activity.