The study demonstrates that ultra-small cobalt nanoparticles—just a few nanometers in size—can successfully catalyze the Kumada–Corriu cross-coupling reaction, a classical method for linking aromatic building blocks.

This discovery is significant as it introduces a sustainable alternative to traditional methods that rely on costly and often toxic metals such as palladium or nickel. Cobalt, by contrast, is abundant, affordable, and more environmentally friendly, making it a promising option for the development of greener catalytic systems.

The article was published in the journal’s special issue on “Materials and Sustainable Chemistry for Energy and Environmental Applications.” The An-Najah University Journal for Research – A is a fully open-access journal, free to publish and read, and indexed in DOAJ and Scopus, underscoring its growing international visibility and contribution to advancing global scientific research.