The potentialities of mechanochemistry trough extrusion have been investigated for the
design of nanosized catalysts and their use in C-C bond-forming reactions. The mechanochemical
approach proved successful for the synthesis of supported palladium nanoparticles with mean
diameter within 6–10 nm, achieved by the reduction of Pd(II) acetate with ethylene glycol, in
the absence of any solvent. A mesoporous N-doped carbon derived from chitin as a renewable
biopolymer, was used as a support. Thereafter, the resulting nanomaterials were tested as catalysts
to implement a second extrusion based-protocol for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of
iodobenzene and phenylboronic acid. The conversion and the selectivity of the reaction were 81% and
>99%, respectively, with a productivity of the desired derivative, biphenyl, of 41 mmol gcat
gcat-1 h-1.
