Application of a new phosphorus-free palladium heterogeneous nanocatalyst supported on modified MWCNT the highly selective and efficient cleavage of propargyl, allyl, and benzyl phenol ethers under mild conditions.

A stable and efficient phosphorus-free, low Pd-loading heterogeneous nanocatalyst comprising palladium and a multi-walled carbon nanotube was prepared and characterized by various techniques such as SEM, TEM, AFM, FT-IR, and Raman spectrometry, N2 adsorption isotherm and thermogravimetric analysis. This catalyst was used for the deprotection of phenol ethers. The catalyst selectivity for deprotection of between propargyl, allyl, and benzyl, as a protecting group, was studied. Also, the presence of different functional groups was studied to establish the scope and limitations of this method. The catalytic activity of recycled catalyst was evaluated. The results indicated that the catalyst is heterogeneous, stable, and very active under the established conditions, and it could be reused up to five times without any significant leaching. In addition, according to ICP analysis, low leaves of leaching of palladium from the catalyst was observed, which indicates that anthraquinone has an excellent ability to coordinate with palladium.