Hydrogenolysis of ethane. Part 2.—Initial rate measurements over Ni and Pd catalysts

Abstract

The initial rate of the hydrogenolysis of ethane was measured over Ni and Pd catalysts at different partial pressures of C₂H₆ and H₂. The experimentally obtained rate is in excellent agreement with a recently proposed mechanism, in which both ethane and hydrogen are adsorbed dissociatively, and the kinetically slow rupture of the C—C bond occurs in an interaction with molecular hydrogen.