Pd-decorated carbon nanostructures for sustainable catalysis

The development of efficient, recoverable and sustainable catalytic systems remains a key challenge in modern synthetic chemistry. In this work, we report the preparation of Pd-decorated carbon nanostructures obtained through a pyrrole-based functionalization methodology, a simple, versatile and environmentally friendly approach that enables the covalent grafting of Janus pyrrole derivatives onto sp² carbon allotropes via domino reactions. This functionalization strategy enables the controlled anchoring of palladium species onto the carbon surface, bridging homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis by combining high catalytic performance with recoverability. The resulting materials were characterized by FTIR, TGA and XRD, supporting successful grafting and Pd incorporation. Their catalytic performance was evaluated across a broad range of C–C cross-coupling reactions, including Suzuki–Miyaura, Heck and Sonogashira transformations. Under optimized conditions, the catalysts delivered high yields, up to 99%, even with very low Pd catalyst loading, 0.1 mol%, short reaction times, as low as 5 min at 80 °C, and benign solvent mixtures. Recyclability tests demonstrated excellent stability and reusability, with minimal loss of activity over multiple cycles. Taken together, these results highlight a robust, scalable and sustainable platform for the development of high-performance Pd-based catalysts, offering a promising route toward greener and more efficient cross-coupling methodologies.