Palladium nanoparticles on silica-alumina (Pd/SA) with tunable surface acidity were prepared by single-step flame spray pyrolysis and tested for the chemoselective hydrogenation of acetophenone under solvent-free conditions in a stirred autoclave at 50 bar. Quantitative solid-state NMR spectroscopy of the catalysts with different Si/Al ratio revealed that the concentration of Bronsted acid sites in these catalysts increases with increasing aluminum content up to 70 at%. The support acidity directly influenced the electronic properties of the Pd nanoparticles as proved by DRIFT spectroscopy with CO as probe molecule. Pd/SA with 15 at% aluminum (Pd/SA-15) exhibited excellent chemoselectivity for C=O bond hydrogenation of acetophenone. At 170 degrees C and 50 bar H-2, acetophenone was converted to ethylbenzene with a selectivity of 99.9%. Beside 0.1% 1-phenylethanol, no other by products were detected. Further enhancement of the support acidity in catalysts with higher Al content resulted in higher reaction rate (TOF) and in additional products originating from the competitive hydrogenation of the aromatic ring. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.