Hollow Nanoreactors for Pd-Catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling and O-Propargyl Cleavage Reactions in Bio-Relevant Aqueous Media

Paolo Destito, Ana Sousa-Castillo, José R. Couceiro, Fernando López, Miguel A. Correa-Duarte, and José L. Mascareñas

Chem. Sci. 2019, 10, 2598‒2603

We describe the fabrication of hollow microspheres consisting of mesoporous silica nanoshells decorated with an inner layer of palladium nanoparticles and their use as Pd-nanoreactors in aqueous media. These palladium-equipped capsules can be used to promote the uncaging of propargyl-protected phenols, as well as Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling, in water and at physiologically compatible temperatures. Importantly, the depropargylation reaction can be accomplished in a bioorthogonal manner in the presence of relatively high concentrations of biomolecular components and even in the presence of mammalian cells.