Palladium Catalyst and Ligand Prices: US vs China (October 2026)

This report compares what seven reagents used in palladium-catalysed cross-coupling cost in the United States and in China: two palladium sources, palladium(II) acetate and tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0), and five phosphine ligands, XPhos, SPhos, RuPhos, BrettPhos and rac-BINAP. It also adds bis(1,5-cyclooctadiene)nickel(0).

All figures come from the GrapeCat Chem regional price index. They are list prices observed on 13 October 2026 (15 October for the nickel compound), converted to US dollars at the European Central Bank reference rate. Every comparison uses the same stated purity and the same pack size in both regions. The values are research benchmarks, not quotations or offers.

Key findings

• At the 5 g pack, the US list price was 2.0 to 4.5 times the China index for all seven palladium-chemistry products: lowest for palladium(II) acetate (1.98×), highest for SPhos (4.52×).
• The gap narrows in larger packs. At 25 g, the US price was 1.9 to 3.0 times the China index for the six products priced in both regions at that size.
• Palladium(II) acetate barely gets cheaper per gram in larger packs: the China index was $76.20 per gram at 1 g and $74.71 per gram at 25 g, a 2% difference. XPhos, SPhos, RuPhos and rac-BINAP were 70% to 80% cheaper per gram at 500 g than at 1 g.
• Per gram of palladium they contain, palladium(II) acetate and Pd(PPh3)4 cost almost the same in China at the 5 g pack: about $160 and $174.
• BrettPhos was the most expensive of the four biaryl phosphine ligands: $7.62 per gram in China at 5 g, against $1.16 to $1.94 per gram for SPhos, XPhos and RuPhos.

Price comparison at the 5 g pack

• Palladium(II) acetate (CAS 3375-31-3), 98%: US $753.03; China $379.50 (11 sources). US is 1.98× China.
• Tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0), Pd(PPh3)4 (CAS 14221-01-3), 98%: US $179.29; China $80.23 (9 sources). US is 2.23× China.
• XPhos (CAS 564483-18-7), 97%: US $23.91; China $7.24 (10 sources). US is 3.30× China.
• RuPhos (CAS 787618-22-8), 98%: US $33.47; China $9.71 (10 sources). US is 3.45× China.
• BrettPhos (CAS 1070663-78-3), 98%: US $141.04; China $38.10 (7 sources). US is 3.70× China.
• rac-BINAP (CAS 98327-87-8), 98%: US $33.47; China $8.82 (13 sources). US is 3.79× China.
• SPhos (CAS 657408-07-6), 98%: US $26.30; China $5.82 (14 sources). US is 4.52× China.

Palladium sources: Pd(OAc)2 and Pd(PPh3)4

Palladium(II) acetate (C4H6O4Pd, molecular weight 224.51) is about 47.4% palladium by mass. At 98% purity the China index was $76.20 for 1 g (11 sources), $379.50 for 5 g (11 sources), $758.26 for 10 g (5 sources) and $1,867.63 for 25 g (7 sources). The US list prices were $155.39 for 1 g, $753.03 for 5 g and $1,338.71 for 10 g. Across 1 g to 25 g, the China price per gram stayed between $74.71 and $76.20.

Tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) (C72H60P4Pd, molecular weight 1155.6) is about 9.2% palladium by mass. At 98% purity the China index was $16.14 for 1 g (9 sources), $80.23 for 5 g (9 sources), $392.20 for 25 g (7 sources) and $1,358.59 for 100 g (4 sources). The US list prices were $52.59 for 1 g, $179.29 for 5 g and $741.07 for 25 g. The China price per gram fell 16% from 1 g to 100 g.

Dividing the price by the palladium content puts the two on the same footing. At the 5 g pack in China, palladium(II) acetate works out to about $160 per gram of palladium and Pd(PPh3)4 to about $174. The same calculation on the US list prices gives about $318 and $389.

Biaryl phosphine ligands: XPhos, SPhos, RuPhos and BrettPhos

XPhos is 2-dicyclohexylphosphino-2',4',6'-triisopropylbiphenyl, SPhos is 2-dicyclohexylphosphino-2',6'-dimethoxybiphenyl, RuPhos is 2-dicyclohexylphosphino-2',6'-diisopropoxybiphenyl and BrettPhos is dicyclohexyl(3,6-dimethoxy-2',4',6'-triisopropyl-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-yl)phosphine. Price per gram at the 5 g and 100 g packs:

• XPhos, 97%: China $1.45/g at 5 g and $1.00/g at 100 g; US $4.78/g and $2.39/g.
• SPhos, 98%: China $1.16/g at 5 g and $0.92/g at 100 g; US $5.26/g and $2.03/g.
• RuPhos, 98%: China $1.94/g at 5 g and $1.43/g at 100 g; US $6.69/g and $2.51/g.
• BrettPhos, 98%: China $7.62/g at 5 g and $4.78/g at 100 g; US $28.21/g and $16.81/g.

rac-BINAP

This index covers racemic 2,2'-bis(diphenylphosphino)-1,1'-binaphthyl, CAS 98327-87-8, only. At 98% purity the China index was $8.82 for 5 g (13 sources), $38.40 for 25 g (12 sources), $148.36 for 100 g (11 sources) and $672.35 for 500 g (6 sources). The US list prices were $33.47, $95.62, $346.63 and $1,721.20 for the same packs, 2.3 to 3.8 times the China index.

Also tracked: Ni(COD)2

For bis(1,5-cyclooctadiene)nickel(0) (CAS 1295-35-8), observed on 15 October 2026, the only pack priced in both regions was 1 g at 96% purity: US $286.89 and China $55.58, each from a single source, so that ratio is thin. With more sources, the China index at 97% purity was $39.45 for 1 g (5 sources) and $195.67 for 5 g (6 sources).

How pack size changes the price per gram

China price index per gram, smallest to largest pack priced:

• Palladium(II) acetate, 98%: $76.20/g at 1 g, $74.71/g at 25 g (2% lower).
• Pd(PPh3)4, 98%: $16.14/g at 1 g, $13.59/g at 100 g (16% lower).
• BrettPhos, 98%: $8.37/g at 1 g, $4.78/g at 100 g (43% lower).
• RuPhos, 98%: $4.33/g at 1 g, $1.30/g at 500 g (70% lower).
• rac-BINAP, 98%: $4.48/g at 1 g, $1.34/g at 500 g (70% lower).
• XPhos, 97%: $4.18/g at 1 g, $0.91/g at 500 g (78% lower).
• SPhos, 98%: $4.33/g at 1 g, $0.87/g at 500 g (80% lower).

The US list prices follow the same pattern. XPhos fell from $4.78 per gram at 5 g to $2.01 per gram at 500 g, and palladium(II) acetate from $155.39 per gram at 1 g to $133.87 per gram at 10 g.

Frequently asked questions

How much does palladium(II) acetate cost per gram?

On 13 October 2026 the GrapeCat Chem China index for 98% palladium(II) acetate was $76.20 for a 1 g pack (11 sources). The US list price for the same pack was $155.39. The product page shows the current values for every pack size and purity.

What are the CAS numbers of these catalysts and ligands?

• Palladium(II) acetate: 3375-31-3
• Tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0): 14221-01-3
• XPhos: 564483-18-7
• SPhos: 657408-07-6
• RuPhos: 787618-22-8
• BrettPhos: 1070663-78-3
• rac-BINAP: 98327-87-8
• Bis(1,5-cyclooctadiene)nickel(0): 1295-35-8

Is a larger pack cheaper per gram?

For the phosphine ligands, much cheaper: XPhos, SPhos, RuPhos and rac-BINAP cost 70% to 80% less per gram at 500 g than at 1 g in the China index. For palladium(II) acetate the difference between 1 g and 25 g was 2%.

Are these prices quotes I can buy at?

No. They are index values built from observed list prices. Actual prices depend on the supplier, the date, shipping, duties and order size.

Methodology

• Each product is identified by its CAS number and checked against its PubChem record.
• Listings are grouped by stated purity and pack size. Only the same purity and the same pack size are compared across regions; listings without a stated purity are left out.
• A listing counts for the US when its stock is located in the United States and for China when its stock is located in China.
• Each source is reduced to the median of its own listings; the regional index is the median across sources.
• Prices in Chinese yuan are converted at the European Central Bank reference rate: 1 CNY = 0.14941 USD (12 October 2026) for the 13 October observations and 0.14942 USD (14 October 2026) for Ni(COD)2.
• The ratio in this report is the US value divided by the China value. Product pages show the same comparison as a percentage gap, (US − China) ÷ US.

Full index methodology ↗

This report will be updated monthly. The product pages linked above always show the latest index.