Synthesis, characterization and first application of covalently immobilized nickel-porphyrin on graphene oxide for Suzuki cross-coupling reaction

In this study, nickel(II)-coordinated 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(aminophenyl)porphyrin (NiTAPP) as a macrocyclic complex was covalently grafted to the edge of graphene oxide (GO). The prepared nanocatalyst was well characterized by various techniques such as FT-IR, Raman, XRD, TEM, SEM, EDX, TGA, ICP-OES, UV and XPS. All analyses confirmed the successful immobilization of NiTAPP on GO. The synthesized catalyst was applied to evaluate its performance in the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction. GO/NiTAPP exhibited good catalytic efficiency with a high yield of products. Moreover, the suggested catalyst could be recycled for five consecutive cycles without a noticeable decrease in its catalytic activity or metal leaching.