Magnetically separable Pd catalyst for highly selective epoxide hydrogenolysis under mild conditions

A magnetically separable palladium catalyst was synthesized simply through a sol-gel process incorporating palladium nanoparticles and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in aluminum oxyhydroxide matrix, which is highly active and selective for epoxide hydrogenolysis at room temperature under 1 atm H-2. The catalyst was recycled for 25 times without loss of the activity.