Hydrogenation of arenes, alkenes and alkynes catalyzed by a sol–gel entrapped mixture of [Rh(cod)Cl]2 and Na[HRu3(CO)11]

Methylated benzenes are rapidly hydrogenated at 20°C and 13.8bar H2 by a catalyst composed of sol–gel co-entrapped [Rh(cod)Cl]2 and Na[HRu3(CO)11]. Under these conditions no metallic particles are formed in the reaction mixture. Other unsaturated substrate that require a temperature of 80–120°C react via the formation of sol–gel entrapped metallic nano-particles.