January 2008
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9 Reads
VDI-Berichte
A process has been developed for the deposition of Pd black onto the inner surface of micro-capillaries and these films have been examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis to confirm their structure and elemental composition. These films have been shown to be highly catalytically active in metal-catalyzed transformations including the Suzuki-Miyama and Heck couplings where the reactions are flowed through these miniature capillaries while being microwaved where conversion times are in the order of seconds. Further, the role of metal films in transformations that are not specifically metal catalyzed (e.g., pericyclic reactions) has also been investigated. Here once again dramatic rate enhancements have been observed. Efforts have also been expended into differentiating 'catalytic' effects from simple 'heating' effects for the metal film.