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Related Concept Videos

Thermal and Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Overview01:26

Thermal and Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Overview

Electrocyclic reactions are reversible reactions. They involve an intramolecular cyclization or ring-opening of a conjugated polyene. Shown below are two examples of electrocyclic reactions. In the first reaction, the formation of the cyclic product is favored. In contrast, in the second reaction, ring-opening is favored due to the high ring strain associated with cyclobutene formation.
Oxidation of Alkenes: Syn Dihydroxylation with Osmium Tetraoxide02:44

Oxidation of Alkenes: Syn Dihydroxylation with Osmium Tetraoxide

Alkenes are converted to 1,2-diols or glycols through a process called dihydroxylation. It involves the addition of two hydroxyl groups across the double bond with two different stereochemical approaches, namely anti and syn. Dihydroxylation using osmium tetroxide progresses with syn stereochemistry.
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation02:17

Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation

Catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes is a transition-metal catalyzed reduction of the double bond using molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. The mode of hydrogen addition follows syn stereochemistry.
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
Oxidation of Alcohols02:37

Oxidation of Alcohols

In this lesson, the oxidation of alcohols is discussed in depth. The various reagents used for oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols are detailed, and their mechanism of action is provided.
The process of oxidation in a chemical reaction is observed in any of the three forms:
Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes03:08

Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes

In addition to the oxymercuration–demercuration method, which converts the alkenes to alcohols with Markovnikov orientation, a complementary hydroboration-oxidation method yields the anti-Markovnikov product. The hydroboration reaction, discovered in 1959 by H.C. Brown, involves the addition of a B–H bond of borane to an alkene giving an organoborane intermediate. The oxidation of this intermediate with basic hydrogen peroxide forms an alcohol.
Thermal Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry01:17

Thermal Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry

The stereochemistry of electrocyclic reactions is strongly influenced by the orbital symmetry of the polyene HOMO. Under thermal conditions, the reaction proceeds via the ground-state HOMO.
Selection Rules: Thermal Activation
Conjugated systems containing an even number of π-electron pairs undergo a conrotatory ring closure. For example, thermal electrocyclization of (2E,4E)-2,4-hexadiene, a conjugated diene containing two π-electron pairs, gives trans-3,4-dimethylcyclobutene.

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Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
10:57

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Ternary Pt/Rh/SnO2 electrocatalysts for oxidizing ethanol to CO2.

A Kowal1, M Li, M Shao

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA.

Nature Materials
|January 27, 2009
PubMed
Summary

A new platinum-rhodium-tin oxide electrocatalyst efficiently oxidizes ethanol at room temperature, breaking the C-C bond. This breakthrough promises to overcome key challenges in developing practical direct ethanol fuel cells.

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Area of Science:

  • Electrochemistry
  • Materials Science
  • Catalysis

Background:

  • Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) offer high energy density and renewable fuel potential.
  • Commercialization of DEFCs is hindered by inefficient ethanol oxidation kinetics.
  • Existing electrocatalysts struggle with effective C-C bond cleavage in ethanol.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a highly efficient electrocatalyst for direct ethanol oxidation.
  • To overcome the limitations of current catalysts in DEFC applications.
  • To investigate the mechanism of ethanol oxidation at the molecular level.

Main Methods:

  • Synthesis of a ternary PtRhSnO(2)/C electrocatalyst using carbon-supported tin dioxide nanoparticles.
  • Electrochemical characterization of the catalyst's performance in ethanol oxidation.
  • Density functional theory (DFT) calculations to elucidate the catalytic mechanism.

Main Results:

  • The PtRhSnO(2)/C electrocatalyst demonstrated high efficiency in oxidizing ethanol at room temperature.
  • The catalyst effectively cleaved the C-C bond in ethanol, facilitating oxidation to CO(2) at low potentials.
  • Experimental and computational results revealed synergistic interactions between Pt, Rh, and SnO(2) contributing to high activity.

Conclusions:

  • The novel ternary electrocatalyst shows significant promise for practical DEFCs.
  • Understanding the catalyst's mechanism provides insights into Pt-Ru catalyst behavior in methanol vs. ethanol oxidation.
  • This work paves the way for designing advanced catalysts for C-C bond activation in other catalytic processes.