Plantacare 2000: A Biosurfactant for an Eco-Friendly Palladium Catalyzed Cyanation of Aromatic Bromides

Abstract

We introduce here Plantacare 2000 (PL-2000), a renewable biosurfactant for sustainable palladium-catalysed cyanation reactions in water. PL-2000 is derived from plant-based raw materials, is fully biodegradable, nontoxic to the aquatic environment and commercially available without the need for complex synthesis. It represents a safer alternative for Pd-catalysed cyanation reactions using K₄[Fe(CN)₆], while maintaining acceptable synthetic efficiency and a wide substrate scope. PL-2000 proved to be superior to PEG-based surfactants in terms of environmental compatibility and retention of surfactant properties at high temperatures (cloud point > 100 °C). It is also compatible with microwave heating (MW) for challenging substrates. The approach eliminates the need for deoxygenation processes and the use of organic co-solvents and limits the use of additives. Analysis of green chemistry metrics shows that this method achieves an optimal balance between efficiency and environmental impact compared to existing alternatives. The results show that PL-2000 is a promising alternative for surfactant-assisted, metal-catalysed reactions in aqueous media and paves the way for more environmentally friendly synthetic transformations.