Upcycling of Chitin to Cross-Coupling Catalysts: Tailored Supports and Opportunities in Mechanochemistry

In this study chitin derived from shrimp shells was used in the design of heterogeneous Pd-based catalysts for Heck and Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions. The synthesis of Pd nanoparticles supported on N-doped carbons was performed through different approaches, including a sustainable mechanochemical approach, by using a twin-screw extruder. All catalytic systems were characterized by a multitechnique approach and the effect of nanoparticles size, N-doping on the support, and their synergistic interactions were elucidated. Specifically, Kelvin Probe Atomic Force Microscopy provided valuable insights on charge transfer and metal-support interactions. The catalytic behaviour of the samples was investigated in cross-coupling reactions under batch conditions and under semi-continuous flow solvent-free conditions, respectively obtaining a quantitative yield and a noteworthy productivity of 8.7 mol/(gPdh).