Palladium nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide as an efficient catalyst for the reduction of benzyl alcohol compounds

•Pd NPs/rGO nanocomposite was prepared using a sonochemical procedure.•The Pd NPs/rGO catalyst was applied for the reduction of benzyl alcohol compounds.•The reduction gave the corresponding methylene compounds in high yields.

Palladium nanoparticles were prepared on reduced graphene oxide (Pd NPs/rGO) by using a sonochemical procedure. Pd NPs with a mean diameter of 37 ± 22 nm were deposited on reduced graphene oxide sheets by the reaction between PdCl42 − and graphene oxide (GO) under sonochemical conditions. The catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The Pd NPs/rGO nanocomposite was successfully applied as a reusable catalyst for the reduction of benzyl alcohol derivatives into the corresponding methylene compounds in the presence of triethylsilane. The reductive dehydroxylation of benzyl alcohols takes place under mild conditions affording high yields of the corresponding methylene compounds in short reaction times.

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