Selective hydrogenation by polymer-encapsulated platinum nanoparticles prepared by an easy single-step sonochemical synthesis

Polypyrrole-encapsulated platinum nanoparticles (PPy/Pt-NPs) prepared by an easy single-step sonochemical synthesis were used as catalysts for the liquid phase hydrogenation of substituted alkenes in methanol or methanol/water mixtures. Polypyrrole (PPy) coatings on the nanoparticles were able to act as nanoscopic filters for substrates molecules, and consequently substrate selectivity could be controlled in the catalytic processes.