Hydrogenation of olefins. Part 7.—Reaction of ethylene with deuterium catalyzed by silica-supported rhenium

Abstract

The reaction of ethylene with hydrogen or with deuterium catalyzed by 17 % rhenium-silica has been studied in the temperature range 25–150°C. Rhenium has a lower specific activity for this reaction than the noble Group 8 elements by several orders of magnitude. The distribution of deuterium in the products obtained at 25°C has been used to calculate the probabilities that chemisorbed ethylene will undergo desorption and that chemisorbed ethyl groups will undergo hydrogenation. Each probability is high. From this mechanistic standpoint, the behaviour of rhenium closely resembles that of ruthenium and osmium which are also of close packed hexagonal structure, and differs significantly from that of the face centred cubic third row transition elements iridium and platinum.