Graphite oxide as a novel host material of catalytically active Pd nanoparticles

Graphite oxide (GO) was utilized as a novel host material for Pd nanoparticles of controlled crystallite size. Immobilization of the Pd nanoparticles from a stable Pd sol in GO resulted in the formation of organophilic Pd-GO, a layer-structured material, which was characterized by ICP-AES, XRD and TEM. Pd-GO proved to be a highly active and stereoselective catalyst in liquid-phase alkyne hydrogenations under mild conditions.