Two water-soluble Pd-aminoacid complexes were prepared under mild condition and were characterized by various techniques such as IR, UV-vis, H-1 NMR spectra. X-ray crystallography reveals the structure of Pd-valine complex with the molecular formula of [Pd(valine)(2)]center dot H2O and the composition of Pd-lysine complex was suggested as [Pd(lysine center dot HCl)(Cl)(2)] at pH 2-5.5. Hydrogenation performance of Pd-lysine complex in two-phase was evaluated by using p-chloronitrobenzene. The hydrogenation and dinner performance of Pd-lysine complex was also evaluated by using 2-nitro-5-chlorobenzotrifluride. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.