Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 September 2014
The organometallic approach was successfully applied to synthesize water-soluble ruthenium nanoparticles displaying interesting catalytic properties in hydrogenation of unsaturated model-substrates. Nanocatalyst synthesis was performed by hydrogenation of the complex [Ru(COD)(COT)] in the presence of sulfonated diphosphines and cyclodextrins as protective agents providing very small ruthenium nanoparticles (ca. 1.2-1.5 nm) with narrow size distribution and high stability. Catalysis results in water evidenced a control of the surface properties of these novel ruthenium nanocatalysts at a supramolecular level.