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Lecture

Hydrogenation Mechanism

In course

CH-422: Catalyst design for synthesis

This course on homogeneous catalysis provide a detailed understanding of how these catalysts work at a mechanistic level and give examples of catalyst design for important reactions (hydrogenation, olefin metathesis, cross-coupling). ...

Description

This lecture covers the detailed reaction mechanism of hydrogenation, focusing on Wilkinson's catalyst. It explains the steps involved in the hydrogenation process, the role of different ligands, and the impact of solvent choice on catalytic activity. The instructor discusses the importance of steric and electronic factors in catalyst design, as well as the use of chiral phosphines for asymmetric hydrogenation. Mechanistic studies, solvent effects, and the influence of substituents on catalytic activity are also explored.

Instructor

Xile Hu

Xile Hu was born in 1978 in Putian, southeastern China. He entered the Peking University in Beijing in 1996. Besides learning too little chemistry, his biggest regret in the college was not able to correct his southern accent in Mandarin. After graduated from PKU, he went to the United States and began his doctoral studies at the University of California, San Diego. In December 2004, he finished with a Ph.D. in chemistry and some fond memories of the beautiful city of San Diego. He then moved to the Los Angeles area and become a postdoctoral scholar at the California Institute of Technology. There he enjoyed numerous stimulating scientific (and other) discussions with friends and colleagues. He also made plenty of friends outside the campus and was a frequent in many local Chinese restaurants. In 2007, after two pleasant visits to Switzerland, he decided to move across the continent one more time and join the faculty of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). He now directs the Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Catalysis and is interested in developing chemistry for synthesis, energy and sustainability.

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Chemistry

Organic chemistry: Organometallic chemistry

Related concepts (32)

Asymmetric hydrogenation

Asymmetric hydrogenation is a chemical reaction that adds two atoms of hydrogen to a target (substrate) molecule with three-dimensional spatial selectivity. Critically, this selectivity does not come from the target molecule itself, but from other reagents or catalysts present in the reaction. This allows spatial information (what chemists refer to as chirality) to transfer from one molecule to the target, forming the product as a single enantiomer.

Hydrogenation

Hydrogenation is a chemical reaction between molecular hydrogen (H2) and another compound or element, usually in the presence of a catalyst such as nickel, palladium or platinum. The process is commonly employed to reduce or saturate organic compounds. Hydrogenation typically constitutes the addition of pairs of hydrogen atoms to a molecule, often an alkene. Catalysts are required for the reaction to be usable; non-catalytic hydrogenation takes place only at very high temperatures.

Transfer hydrogenation

In chemistry, transfer hydrogenation is a chemical reaction involving the addition of hydrogen to a compound from a source other than molecular . It is applied in laboratory and industrial organic synthesis to saturate organic compounds and reduce ketones to alcohols, and imines to amines. It avoids the need for high-pressure molecular used in conventional hydrogenation. Transfer hydrogenation usually occurs at mild temperature and pressure conditions using organic or organometallic catalysts, many of which are chiral, allowing efficient asymmetric synthesis.

Reaction mechanism

In chemistry, a reaction mechanism is the step by step sequence of elementary reactions by which overall chemical reaction occurs. A chemical mechanism is a theoretical conjecture that tries to describe in detail what takes place at each stage of an overall chemical reaction. The detailed steps of a reaction are not observable in most cases. The conjectured mechanism is chosen because it is thermodynamically feasible and has experimental support in isolated intermediates (see next section) or other quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the reaction.

Catalysis

Catalysis (kəˈtæləsɪs) is the process of change in rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (ˈkætəlɪst). Catalysts are not consumed by the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recycles quickly, very small amounts of catalyst often suffice; mixing, surface area, and temperature are important factors in reaction rate. Catalysts generally react with one or more reactants to form intermediates that subsequently give the final reaction product, in the process of regenerating the catalyst.

Related lectures (32)

Catalysis: Hydrogenation

Covers the topic of catalysis, focusing on the process of hydrogenation and the advantages of using soluble catalysts.

Alkene Metathesis: Mechanisms and Applications

Explores alkene metathesis mechanisms, total synthesis strategies, and hydrogenation selectivities.

Publication Analysis: Understanding Research Articles

Introduces publication analysis, emphasizing critical evaluation of research articles and effective reading strategies.

Catalytic Functionalization of Olefins

Explores catalytic reactions for olefin functionalization, covering asymmetric allylation, hydrogenation, isomerization, hydroamination, hydroboration, and radical reactions.

Electrophilic Addition: Chemistry of Alkenes and Hydrogenation