Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-armed Ru(II)-bearing microgel-core star polymer catalysts were used for the transfer hydrogenation of ketones. The star catalysts (Ru(II)-PEG Star) were one-pot synthesized by ruthenium-catalyzed living radical polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) and a sequential linking reaction with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (1) and diphenylphosphinostyrene (2). The polymers efficiently and homogeneously reduced acetophenone into 1-phenylethanol in 2-propanol coupled with K 2 CO 3 at a high yield, despite a low catalyst feed ratio to the substrate (Ru(II)/substrate¼1/1000). Importantly, the catalytic activity was higher than that of the original RuCl 2 (PPh 3) 3 , as well as that of similar polymer-supported Ru(II) catalysts, such as poly(methyl methacrylate)-armed star-, polystyrene gel-and random polymer-supported catalysts. Ru(II)-PEG Star is applicable to various substrates, including para-substituted aromatic, aliphatic and bulky ketones, where the activity of Ru(II)-PEG Star is is generally higher than that of RuCl 2 (PPh 3) 3. For example, the turnover frequency for 4-chloroacetophenone and cyclohexanone reached B1000 h À1 , and the reduction rate of cyclopentanone and 3-methyl-5-heptanone was twice as high as that of RuCl 2 (PPh 3) 3. The star catalyst also showed high catalyst recyclability, independent of the substrate species. These features most likely arise from its unique reaction space, which consists of a ruthenium-embedded, hydrophobic microgel core surrounded by amphiphilic and polar PEGMA arms.