Fluorescence-marked mesoporous silica core–shell nanocatalyst for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation

•A fluorescence-marked and chiral organoruthenium-functionalized core–shell structured nanocatalyst is developed.•The catalyst has strong fluorescence and it is visible by naked eye under radiation by 365 nm light of portable ultraviolet lamp.•The catalyst exhibits good catalytic efficiency and can be easily recovered and reused repeatedly in six consecutive reactions.

Fluorescence-marked core–shell structured nanocatalyst was prepared through co-condensation method. The catalyst exhibits good catalytic efficiency for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones and can be recovered and reused several times. The strong fluorescent emission easily tracks the recovery process of the nanocatalyst.

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