Supramolecular Linear-Dendritic Nanoreactors: Synthesis and Catalytic Activity in “Green” Suzuki-Miyaura Reactions

This study describes the synthesis of novel amphiphilic linear-dendritic block copolymers and their self-assembly in water to form supramolecular nanoreactors capable of catalyzing Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions under “green” conditions. The block copolymers were formed through copper(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition between azide functionalized poly(benzyl ether) dendrons as the perfectly branched blocks, as well as bis-alkyne modified poly(ethylene glycol), PEG, as the linear block. A first-generation poly(benzyl ether) dendron (G1) was coupled to a bis-alkyne modified PEG with molecular mass of 5 kDa, forming an ABA copolymer (G1)(2)-PEG5k-(G1)(2) (yield 62%), while a second-generation dendron (G2) was coupled to a 11 kDa bis-alkyne modified PEG to produce (G2)(2)-PEG11k-(G2)(2) (yield 49%). The structural purity and low dispersity of the linear-dendritic copolymers were verified by size-exclusion chromatography and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Their self-assembly was studied by dynamic light scattering, showing that (G1)(2)-PEG5k-(G1)(2) and (G2)(2)-PEG11k-(G2)(2) formed single populations of micelles (17 nm and 37 nm in diameter, respectively). The triazole rings located at the boundaries between the core and the corona are efficient chelating groups for transition metals. The ability of the micelles to complex Pd was confirmed by (1)H NMR, transmission electron microscopy, and inductively coupled plasma. The catalytic activity of the supramolecular linear-dendritic/Pd complexes was tested in water by model Suzuki-Miyaura reactions in which quantitative yields were achieved within 3 h at 40 °C, while, at 17 °C, a yield of more than 70% was attained after 17 h.