Hydrogenolysis of ethane

Engstrom J R, Goodman D W and Weinberg W H 1988 Hydrogenolysis of ethane, propane, n-butane and neopentane... 

The 1,3-carbon-carbon bond activation (also called y-H activation pathway) has the advantage in that it explains several observations (1) hexane undergoes hydrogenolysis on an Ir/Si02 catalyst at 200 °C (H2/hexane = 50/1), while no hydrogenolysis of ethane is observed up to 270 °C under similar conditions and (2) the hydrogenolysis of hexane and cyclohexane have common features (vide infra) [168]. 

These surface hydrides are active catalysts for the hydrogenolysis of alkanes at moderate temperatures. Zirconium hydride can catalyze the hydrogenolysis of neopentane, isobutane, butane, and propane at 323 K but cannot catalyze the hydrogenolysis of ethane.259... 

The first reported work on the kinetics of hydrogenolysis reactions of simple hydrocarbons appears to be that of Taylor and associates at Princeton (2-4, 14, 15), primarily on the hydrogenolysis of ethane to methane. The studies were conducted on nickel, cobalt, and iron catalysts. More recently, extensive studies on ethane hydrogenolysis kinetics have been conducted on all the group VIII metals and on certain other metals as well (16,28-83). 

Specific catalytic activities of a number of silica-supported metals have been determined for the hydrogenolysis of ethane to methane (16, 29-31,... 

Fig. 6. Activities of copper-nickel alloy catalysts for the hydrogenolysis of ethane to methane and the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane to benzene. The activities refer to reaction rates at 316° C. Ethane hydrogenolysis activities were obtained at ethane and hydrogen pressures of 0.030 and 0.20 atm., respectively. Cyclohexane dehydrogenation activities were obtained at cyclohexane and hydrogen pressures of 0.17 and 0.83 atm, respectively (74).

Hydrogenolysis of ethane over a commercial nickel catalyst was studied in a rotating basket reactor containing 40 g of catalyst. 

Hydrogenolysis of Ethane to Methane Porous AI2O3 membranes... 

Two extremes emerge from comparison of the Group VIII metals Ni, Rh, Co, and Ru (the left corner of the Group VIII metal block of the periodic table) prefer terminal splitting, already show multiple splitting at rather low temperatures, are the best catalysts (with Os) in hydrogenolysis of ethane (only 2C complexes possible), and catalyze well the reaction of carbon atoms to methane. Pt is the other extreme in all of these respects, with Pd and Ir... 

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