Crosslinked, organic solvent resistant ethylcellulose micro and nanocapsules for heterogeneous catalysis applications

Encapsulation, a widely employed technology with applications across diverse industrial fields, involves the incorporation of active compounds within a protective coating layer. Although numerous synthetic strategies are described in the literature, sustainability remains a significant concern. Here, we report a sustainable, mini-emulsion solvent evaporation (MESE)-based protocol for producing bio-based and crosslinked micro- and nanocapsules using ethylcellulose (EC) as the biopolymeric shell. Remarkably, crosslinking is performed directly in aqueous dispersion, minimizing the use of organic solvents. The robustness of the methodology is demonstrated using several hydrophobic payloads, and the protocol is specifically optimized for palladium(ii) catalysts. The resulting heterogeneous, supported catalysts efficiently promote cross-coupling reactions in water at remarkably low catalyst loadings.