Palladium liquid gallium catalysts transform chemical production, speed, safety and sustainability

A major breakthrough in liquid catalysts is to transform how essential products are made, making the chemical manufacturing process faster, safer and more sustainable than ever before.

Researchers at Monash University, Sydney University and RMIT University have developed liquid catalysts that can convert chemical production in a variety of industries, from pharmaceuticals and sustainable products to advanced materials.

By dissolving palladium in liquid gallium, a team led by Associate Professor Alifur Rahim of the Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering at Monash University created a self-renewal catalyst system with unprecedented efficiency.

The new catalyst exhibited exceptional performance in Suzuki Miyaura’s mutual bond reactions. It is a Nobel Prize-winning technology used to form carbon carbon (C,C) bonds and is essential to pharmaceuticals, pesticides and materials science.

Their breakthroughs, featured in Science Advances, could revolutionize the production of critical products across the industry, ranging from life-saving pharmaceuticals and environmentally friendly pesticides to advanced materials such as plastics, polymers and electronic components.

“This new catalyst utilizes the unique liquid-like behavior of palladium atoms in liquid gallium mixtures, making it extremely effective in speeding up reactions, providing access up to 100,000 times faster than existing palladium catalysts,” Associate Professor Rahim said.

Describing the process further, senior co-authors of RMIT Dr. Andrew J. Christofferson found that “palladium atoms are located just below the liquid surface, activating the above gallium atoms, and the reaction occurs there. This is completely different from solid catalysts.”

Hasan al-Banna, the first author of the paper, highlighted another important feature. “Another feature of this system is its operation as a true heterogeneous catalyst without the leaching of palladium ions.

Researchers hope that their work will stimulate further innovation in catalyst design and pave the way for greener, more efficient industrial processes around the world.

Senior co-author Professor Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh said, “This advancement is set to transform the production of chemicals and provide faster, safer, more sustainable production across the industry, from pharmaceuticals to advanced materials.”