Hydrogen activation mechanisms

Activation methods can be divided into two groups. Activation by addition of selected metals (a few wt%), mainly transition metals, e.g., fine powders of Fe, Ni, Co, Cr, Pt, Pd, etc. ", or chlorides of these metals when these are reducible to the metal by hydrogen during presintering. The mechanism of activation is not understood (surface tension, surface diffusion, etc.) but is related to the electronic structure of the metal additive. Activation by carbon is also effective. Alternatively, activation utilizes powders in a specially activated state, e.g., very fine (submicronic) powders. ... 

The mechanism of alkene hydrogenation catalyzed by the neutral rhodium complex RhCl(PPh3)3 (Wilkinson s catalyst) has been characterized in detail by Halpern [36-38]. The hydrogen oxidative addition step involves initial dissociation of PPI13, which enhances the rate of hydrogen activation by a factor... 

The mechanism of activation is believed to be as follows. In an alkaline medium, hydrogen peroxide yields the perhydroxide anion (Scheme 10.22), which reacts with TAED (10.86) to form diacetylethylenediamine (10.87) and the peracetate anion (10.88) as in Scheme 10.30 [244]. At pH 8-9, the peracetate anion is in equilibrium with free peracetic acid, as in Scheme 10.31 [244]. The peracetic acid reacts with the peracetate anion to form nascent oxygen which is the active bleaching agent, as in Scheme 10.32 [244]. Further possible activators suggested by Kleber [244] include ... 

B. Activation of Hydrogen. Activation of hydrogen is clearly as important for the catalytic processes under consideration as the activation of CO. For Co and Mn the hydrogen activation mechanism is the equilibrium ... 

A mechanism similar to that shown in Scheme 16.2 has also been proposed to rationalize the arene hydrogenation activity of the triply-bridged dirhodium complex L2HRh(/7-H3)RhL2 (L=P(OiPr)3) [14]. 

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