Catalytic cycle properties

Gomez-Sainero et al. (11) reported X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results on their Pd/C catalysts prepared by an incipient wetness method. XPS showed that Pd° (metallic) and Pdn+ (electron-deficient) species are present on the catalyst surface and the properties depend on the reduction temperature and nature of the palladium precursor. With this understanding of the dual sites nature of Pd, it is believed that organic species S and A are chemisorbed on to Pdn+ (SI) and H2 is chemisorbed dissociatively on to Pd°(S2) in a noncompetitive manner. In the catalytic cycle, quasi-equilibrium ( ) was assumed for adsorption of reactants, SM and hydrogen in liquid phase and the product A (12). Applying Horiuti s concept of rate determining step (13,14), the surface reaction between the adsorbed SM on site SI and adsorbed hydrogen on S2 is the key step in the rate equation. 

It is well known that Rh(I) complexes can catalyze the carbonylation of methanol. A heterogenized catalyst was prepared by ion exchange of zeolite X or Y with Rh cations.126 The same catalytic cycle takes place in zeolites and in solution because the activation energy is nearly the same. The specific activity in zeolites, however, is less by an order of magnitude, suggesting that the Rh sites in the zeolite are not uniformly accessible. The oxidation of camphene was performed over zeolites exchanged with different metals (Mn, Co, Cu, Ni, and Zn).127 Cu-loaded zeolites have attracted considerable attention because of their unique properties applied in catalytic redox reactions.128-130 Four different Cu sites with defined coordinations have been found.131 It was found that the zeolitic media affects strongly the catalytic activity of the Cd2+ ion sites in Cd zeolites used to catalyze the hydration of acetylene.132... 

One of the most efficient approaches allowing us to investigate in a reasonable time a catalytic cycle on non-periodic materials in combination with reliable DFT functional is a cluster approach. The present study is devoted to the investigation of the effect of the cluster size on the energetic properties of the (p-oxo)(p-hydroxo)di-iron metal active site. As a first step, we have studied the stability of the [Fen(p-0)(p-0H)Fen]+ depending on the A1 position and cluster size. Then, we compared the energetics for the routes involving the first two elementary steps of the N20 decomposition catalytic process i.e. the adsorption and dissociation of one N20 molecule. 

Currently, the density functional theory (DFT) method has become the method of choice for the study of reaction mechanism with transition-metals involved. Gradient corrected DFT methods are of particular value for the computational modeling of catalytic cycles. They have been demonstrated in numerous applications for several elementary processes, to be able to provide quantitative information of high accuracy concerning structural and energetic properties of the involved key species and also to be capable of treating large model systems.30... 

In a formal sense, complexes 1 represent pre-catalysts that convert in the first turn of the catalytic cycle (vide infra) into ruthenium methylidene species of type 3 which are believed to be the actual propagating species in solution (Schemes 2,4). The ease of formation of 3 strongly depends on the electronic properties of the original carbene moiety in 1. In addition to complexes la-c with R1=CH=CPh2, ruthenium carbenes with Rx=aryl (e.g. Id, Scheme 3) constitute another class of excellent metathesis pre-catalysts, which afford the methylidene complex 3 after an even shorter induction period [5]. In contrast, any kind of electron-withdrawing (e.g. -COOR) or electron-donating substitu-... 

To examine the nature of the enatioselectivity of the catalysis we have examined the catalytic cycle with two substrates, styrene which leads to predominantly the R form of the product (64% ee) and 4-(dimethylamino)styrene which gives predominantly the S form of the product (67% ee). Our simulations suggest that the t 3-allylic coordination of the styrene substrate plays an important role in defining the enatioselectivity of the hydrosilylation. As a first step, this theoretical study constitutes a valid contribution in rationalizing the enantioselective determining factors and possibly in designing a new catalyst with improved enantioselective properties. We are currently examining nature of the enantioselectivity in more detail as well as the dependence of the enantioselectivity on the electronic nature of the substrates [58]. 

There exist several estimates for relaxation time in chemical reactions (developed, e.g. by Cheresiz and Yablonskii, 1983), but even for the simplest cycle with limitation the main property of relaxation time is not widely known. For a simple irreversible catalytic cycle with limiting step the stationary rate is controlled by the smallest constant, but the relaxation time is determined by the second in order constant. Hence, if in the stationary rate experiments for that cycle we mostly extract the smallest constant, in relaxation experiments another, the second in order constant will be observed. 

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