Preparation of Catalytically Active Palladium Nanoclusters in Compartments of Amphiphilic Hyperbranched Polyglycerols

Transition metal clusters and colloids of narrow particle size distributions in the range 1-10 nm are currently subject to intense research efforts.1 From a fundamental perspective, the transition from the properties of the bulk to those of molecular clusters is expected to occur in this size range. A transition metal cluster of 2 nm diameter consists of a few hundred atoms, a large portion of which are located at the surface of the cluster. In view of potential applications, such materials are of interest with regard to for example catalysis 2,3a,f,4c,5b,6d or microelectronics