Synthesis of palladium colloids within polydimethylsiloxane and their use as catalysts for hydrogenation

► Reduction of tetrachloropalladate(II) by cured PDMS yields encapsulated colloids. ► Pd/PDMS vessels are effective hydrogenation catalysts. ► No loss of catalytic activity was observed after ten hydrogenation reactions. ► Pd/PDMS vessels can be stored for at least 6 months without loss of activity. ► PDMS encapsulation reduces the pyrophoric behavior of hydrogen-exposed Pd.