A new polymer-metal nanocomposite containing catalytic metal nanoparticles and useful for the preparation of catalytic membranes was developed. Pd-0 nanoparticles were grown by intermatrix synthesis methodology on polymeric membranes made of either sulfonated and non sulfonated polyethersulphone with Cardo group or Nafion. The synthesized polymer, the developed membranes and the corresponding nanocomposites were characterized by chemical and microscopic techniques and their catalytic efficiency was tested following a model reaction: the reduction of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.