Arginine-mediated synthesis of highly efficient catalysts for transfer hydrogenations of ketones

Palladium nanoparticles were successfully immobilized on hydrotalcite (HT) assisted with amino acid arginine (Arg), and the resultant Pd catalysts exhibited high efficiency for transfer hydrogenation reactions of aromatic ketones. It was demonstrated that arginine not only mediated Pd nanoparticles to be immobilized on the HT support firmly but also promoted this kind of reaction.