Development of green processes is of the most important field of today's research, with direct impacts on future generations, contributing to environmental and economic technologies. In this sense, the use of biomass is an attractive way in search of the green chemistry goals. This manuscript presents the modification of cellulose in order to complex tin, palladium and nickel cations, and the use of the obtained material as a catalyst for biodiesel preparation and partial hydrogenation. Reactions yields for soybean transesterification and hydrolysis and soybean fatty acids esterification using Sn (II) complexed with modified cellulose rendered yields up to 55%, 93% and 95%, respectively. Partially hydrogenation leading to monounsaturated chains were achieved using palladium and nickel derivatives under mild conditions (10 bar; 80 degrees C). These highly efficient catalytic systems could be recovered at the end of the process and reused without any loss of catalytic activity. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.