Biogenic production of palladium nanocrystals using microalgae and their immobilization on chitosan nanofibers for catalytic applications

Spherical palladium nanocrystals were generated from aqueous Na-2[PdCl4] via photosynthetic reactions within green microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris). Electrospun chitosan mats were effective for immobilizing these biogenic nanocrystals, as a material for recycling as a catalyst for the Mizoroki-Heck cross-coupling reaction. This photosynthetically-driven metal transformation system can serve as a good candidate for an environmentally-friendly method for the synthesis of metal nanocatalysts.