Light Mediated Preparation of Palladium Nanoparticles as Catalysts for Alkyne cis-Semihydrogenation.

A bisacylphosphine oxide photoinitiator was used for the light mediated preparation of palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) with a small diameter of 2.8 nm. All starting materials are commercially available, and PdNP synthesis is experimentally very easy to conduct. The PdNP-hybrid material was applied as catalyst for the semihydrogenation of various internal alkynes to provide the corresponding alkenes in excellent yields (up to 99%) and Z-selectivities (Z/E ratios up to 99/1).