β‐cyclodextrin‐capped palladium nanoparticle‐catalyzed ligand‐free Suzuki and Heck couplings in low‐melting β‐cyclodextrin/NMU mixtures

Abstract

Low‐melting β‐cyclodextrin/ N ‐methylurea (NMU) mixture, an efficient catalytic system for ligand‐free Suzuki and Heck couplings in the presence of fresh native β‐CD‐capped Pd 0 nanoparticles, has been successfully reported. This natural and convenient system can be performed in air and could afford the corresponding cross‐coupled products in good to excellent isolated yields after a simple workup under every low Pd loading (0.05 mol%). Remarkably, the catalytic system can be recycled and reused without loss of catalytic activity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.