Palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) were synthesized through friendly environmental method using PdCl2 and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) in an aqueous solution (pH 6) at controlled water bath (80 degrees C) for 30 min. CMC functioned as both reducing and stabilizing agent. The characterization through high resolution-transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) and X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF) inferred that the as-synthesized PdNPs were spherical in shape with a face cubic crystal (FCC) structure. The results from dynamic light scattering (DLS) suggested the PdNPs had the narrow size distribution with an average size of 2.5 nm. The negative zeta potential (-52.6 mV) kept the as-synthesized PdNPs stable more than one year. The PdNPs showed the excellent catalytic activity by reducing degradation of azo-dyes, such as p-Aminoazobenzene, acid red 66, acid orange 7, scarlet 3G and reactive yellow 179, in the present of sodium borohydride. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.