Catalyst made from plant roots promotes Suzuki reaction

A photograph of water hyacinth roots

Source: © Claude Grison

Ecocatalyst recycling strategy could be used to recover precious metal pollutants from contaminated sites

Researchers in France have produced an active palladium catalyst from the roots of plants grown in contaminated water. This ’ecocatalyst’ can promote Suzuki cross coupling reactions that make important compounds used in the pharmaceutical industry.