Researchers have developed a ligand-protected direct hydrogen reduction strategy to prepare zeolite-confined Pt-Pd bimetallic cluster catalysts. These catalysts efficiently facilitate hydrogen production from ammonia borane (AB) solvolysis and the tandem hydrogenation of nitroarenes. In this tandem reaction, AB undergoes hydrolysis at the platinum sites to generate active hydrogen species, which are then transferred to neighboring palladium sites to reduce nitroarenes.