A solid-phase self-organized catalyst of nanopalladium with main-chain viologen polymers: alpha-alkylation of ketones with primary alcohols.

[reaction: see text] A novel solid-phase self-organized catalyst of palladium nanoparticles was prepared from PdCl(2) with main-chain viologen polymers via complexation and reduction. This insoluble nanocatalyst nano-Pd-V efficiently promoted alpha-alkylation of ketones with primary alcohols in the presence of Ba(OH)(2).H(2)O under atmospheric conditions without organic solvents. The nano-Pd-V catalyst was reused without loss of catalytic activity.