Monodisperse NiPd alloy nanoparticles decorated on mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride as a catalyst for the highly efficient chemoselective reduction of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone compounds

Herein, the study reported extraordinary chemoselective reduction with selectivity (>99%) by the catalytic transfer hydrogenation of various alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones with a catalyst of NiPd alloy nanoparticles decorated on mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (NiPd/mpg-C3N4) under mild conditions in a water/methanol medium. NiPd alloy NPs were synthesized by the reduction of metal salts in oleylamine (OAm) solution with the help of borane-tert-butylamine and then decorated on mpg-C(3)N(4)viaa liquid phase self-assembly method. The NiPd/mpg-C(3)N(4)nanocatalyst was characterized by TEM, XRD and ICP-MS. The NiPd/mpg-C(3)N(4)nanocatalyst is a highly active catalyst for the chemoselective reduction of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones and all organic compounds were converted with high yield and 99% selectivity. In addition, the catalyst can be reused five times without an important loss in reaction yield.