Catalytically active nanosized Pd(9)Te(4) (telluropalladinite) and PdTe (kotulskite) alloys: first precursor-architecture controlled synthesis using palladium complexes of organotellurium compounds as single source precursors

Several intermetallic binary phases of Pd–Te including Pd(3)Te(2), PdTe, PdTe(2), Pd(9)Te(4), Pd(3)Te, Pd(2)Te, Pd(20)Te(7), Pd(8)Te(3), Pd(7)Te(2), Pd(7)Te(3), Pd(4)Te and Pd(17)Te(4) are known, and negligible work (except few studies on PdTe) has been done on exploring applications of such phases and their fabrication at nanoscale. Hence, Pd(ii) complexes Pd(L1)Cl(2) and Pd(L2-H)Cl (L1): Ph–Te–CH(2)–CH(2)–NH(2) and L2: HO–2-C(6)H(4)–CH[double bond, length as m-dash]N–CH(2)CH(2)–Te–Ph were synthesized. Under similar thermolytic conditions, complex Pd(L1)Cl(2) with bidentate coordination mode of ligand provided nanostructures of Pd(9)Te(4) (telluropalladinite) whereas Pd(L2-H)Cl with tridentate coordination mode of ligand yielded PdTe (kotulskite). Bimetallic alloy nanostructures possess high catalytic potential for Suzuki coupling of aryl chlorides, and reduction of 4-nitrophenol. They are also recyclable upto six reaction cycles in Suzuki coupling.