Surfactant-free Pd nanoparticles immobilized to a metal-organic framework with size- and location-dependent catalytic selectivity.

Surfactant-free Pd nanoparticles, immobilized to a metal-organic framework (MIL-101), have been used for the first time as highly active and durable catalysts in water for biomass refining (hydrodeoxygenation of vanillin, a typical compound of lignin) with metal nanoparticle size- and location-dependent catalytic activity and selectivity.