Magnetic Carbon Nanotubes Mesoporous Silica Nanocomposite Functionalized with Palladium: Synthesis, Characterization, and Application as an Efficient Catalyst for Suzuki-Miyaura Reactions

Nanoparticles of Fe3O4 were prepared and decorated on the carbon nanotube surface, followed by palladium immobilization on the nanoparticles. The high efficiency MWCNT@Fe3O4@SiO2@CPTMO@DEA/Pd nanocatalyst was successfully obtained. Identification and determination of modified MWCNT organic functional groups were determined using infrared spectroscopy. The vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) shows the successful arrangement of different layers on the surface of the primary magnetic nanotubes. The thermal stability of MWCNT@Fe3O4@SiO2@CPTMO@DEA/Pd was investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The degree of crystallization of the modified magnetic iron oxide nanocatalysts was measured by the X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) was measured. Surface area, average pore size and total pore volume of the designed catalyst were investigated using Brimmer-Emanett-Teller (BET). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was applied to analyse the morphology of the catalyst structure. The designed catalyst components were analysed using the spectroscopic method of energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Consequently, the catalyst was employed for the Suzuki coupling reaction in the water-ethanol mixture as a green solvent. The new catalyst benefits a simple, eco-friendly, and highly magnetic preparation method. The catalyst showed high thermal stability and good reusability. The catalyst was magnetically recovered and reused for 7 successive cycles with no significant loss of activity and selectivity.