Chemoselective and Continuous Flow Hydrogenations in Thin Films Using a Palladium Nanoparticle Catalyst Embedded in Cellulose Paper

Cellulose immobilized palladium (0) nanoparticles (PdNPs) were prepared for the use in scalable catalytic reactions in flow. Preparation of the catalyst is remarkably simple and fast, where a palladium acetate solution is drop-casted onto cellulose paper and then exposed to 1 atm of hydrogen for a mere 90 s to produce embedded Pd(0) nanoparticles. This catalyst system is efficient in the hydrogenation of alkenes, nitroarenes, ketones, and enamides, with products formed in high yields, under ambient pressure and temperature. The system is also effective for transfer hydrogenation using ammonium formate as an alternative hydrogen source. A high catalyst stability and reusability are demonstrated along with the chemoselective and scalable synthesis of industrially important fine chemicals, including the biobased molecule cyrene.