Spent automotive three-way catalysts towards C C bond forming reactions

Spent automotive three-way catalysts, containing Rh, Pd and Pt nanoparticles supported on oxide-based ceramic materials, catalyze the Heck cross-coupling of iodobenzene with butyl acrylate and unsaturated alcohols at 140°C. Under Suzuki reaction conditions, biphenyl was formed with high yield when the same catalysts were applied. Successful hydroformylation of 1-hexene was performed in the presence of PPh3. The catalytic activity of spent automotive three-way catalysts was compared with that of airborne matter collected in the city of Wrocław.