Facile one-pot synthesis of superfine palladium nanoparticles on polydopamine-functionalized carbon nanotubes as a nanocatalyst for the Heck reaction

•Pd nanoparticles were produced onto polydopamine coated CNTs by a facile strategy.•The catalyst show a high activities in Heck reaction under mild conditions.•N-species that produced during polymerization process are active to anchor Pd NPs.•Interactions between Pd clusters and polydopamine-CNTs were studied by DFT method.•The proposed route can be used facilely for cost-effective catalyst production.