A bio-inspired nickel complex as an efficient nanocatalyst for heck coupling reactions
摘要
In this study, chlorogenic acid was isolated from ethanolic extract of Hymenocrater bituminosus using a preparative high-performance chromatography. Then, a bio-inspired Ni(II)-CGA complex was synthesized using a simple and environmentally friendly process, and its structural and morphological properties were extensively characterized. The Ni(II)-CGA was analyzed using FTIR, confirming the formation of coordination between Ni(II) and the phenolic groups of CGA because the stretching vibration of CGA carbonyl groups were shifted to the lower wavenumbers following the metal–phenol interactions. XRD pattern confirms the formation of coordinated bonds between Ni(II) and oxygen atoms of CGA. SEM and TEM images confirm the formation of grain-like aggregated nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 15 to 40 nm, in which Ni(II) cores with sizes less than 5 nm are distributed in a non-crystalline and amorphous organic matrix of CGA. The catalytic activity of the Ni(II)-CGA nanoparticles was investigated in the Heck coupling reaction under mild conditions. Systematic optimization revealed that 4 mol% of the catalyst in refluxing ethanol, in the presence of Cs₂CO₃ and hydrazine hydrate, efficiently facilitated the coupling of aryl halides with styrene, affording the desired (E)-styrylbenzenes in good to excellent yields. This work demonstrates the promising potential of plant-derived ligands for the development of low-cost, eco-friendly metal catalysts for sustainable organic synthesis.