The selectivity of metal nanocatalysts is critical to chemical transformations and industries. Herein, a highly selective heterogeneous living cell catalytic system (LCCS) with intracellular Pd nanodots (bio-nPd) via in situ biomimetic synthesis is constructed. Research studies show that the LCCS is capable of size-selective catalytic hydrogenation for a series of acrylamides in water under mild conditions, and has self-reproducible, reusable and recyclable performance. Moreover, the LCCS also has high catalytic activity: the turnover frequency (TOF) for the acrylamide is up to 198.3 h−1 and the conversion rate is 100%. The calculation results show that the size-selectivity is closely interrelated with the inherent “gating” effect of the cell membrane, which is beneficial for the entry of small molecules. The highly selective and eco-friendly characteristics of the catalytic systems provide an effective strategy for exploring novel catalytic systems that can meet the requirements of sustainable development.
