Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Heterogeneous Catalysis01:22

Heterogeneous Catalysis

Heterogeneous catalysis involves a catalyst in a different phase from the reactants. It is a process where the catalyst and the reactants are in distinct phases, typically solid and gas or liquid.Most heterogeneous catalysts are metals, metal oxides, or acids. The list includes transition metals like iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), tungsten (W), silver (Ag), and copper (Cu). These metals possess partially vacant d orbitals that...
Catalysis02:50

Catalysis

The presence of a catalyst affects the rate of a chemical reaction. A catalyst is a substance that can increase the reaction rate without being consumed during the process. A basic comprehension of a catalysts’ role during chemical reactions can be understood from the concept of reaction mechanisms and energy diagrams.
Catalysis01:27

Catalysis

Catalysis influences the rate of chemical reactions by providing an alternative reaction pathway with lower activation energy. A catalyst speeds up a reaction, but it is not consumed during the process. The fundamental principle of catalysis is the ability of a catalyst to alter the reaction mechanism, often introducing a more efficient pathway than the uncatalyzed process.In a catalyzed reaction, the catalyst participates directly in the reaction mechanism. It interacts with reactants to form...
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...
Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation02:13

Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Alkenes undergo reduction by the addition of molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. Because the process generally occurs in the presence of a transition-metal catalyst, the reaction is called catalytic hydrogenation.
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the surface of...
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation02:24

Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Introduction
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Y(OTf)<sub>3</sub>-Catalyzed Formal (3 + 2) Cycloadditions of Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes with KSCN under Mechanochemical Conditions.

Organic letters·2026
Same author

Mechanochemical Dehydrogenative Phenochalcogenazination: A Pronounced Water Effect.

ChemSusChem·2026
Same author

The accuracy of carbon-13 NMR magnetic-shielding tensors calculated using periodic DFT: a case study on the distinction of crystalline serine phases.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026
Same author

A Mechanochemical Kolbe-Schmitt Reaction: Catechol Carboxylation Provides Building Blocks for Renewable Plasticizers.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Sulfondiimidoyl-Containing Hypervalent Iodine(III) Compounds: Synthesis and Reactivity.

The Journal of organic chemistry·2026
Same author

Iron-Catalyzed Synthesis of Primary Sulfinamidines from Sulfenamides.

Organic letters·2025
Same journal

Direct air capture technologies: innovations, integration, and pathways to scale.

Chemical Society reviews·2026
Same journal

Fluorescent merocyanines: from fundamental properties to applications as molecular probes, in bioimaging and as emissive dye aggregates.

Chemical Society reviews·2026
Same journal

Direct impure water electrolysis at industrial scale.

Chemical Society reviews·2026
Same journal

Catalytic valorization of polyolefins: from catalysts and processes to reactors.

Chemical Society reviews·2026
Same journal

Designing stable π-radicals.

Chemical Society reviews·2026
Same journal

Antibacterial drug discovery: challenges and preclinical promises from synthetic small molecules.

Chemical Society reviews·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

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

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

Published on: April 10, 2018

Trace metal impurities in catalysis.

Isabelle Thomé1, Anne Nijs, Carsten Bolm

  • 1Institut für Organische Chemie der RWTH Aachen University, Landoltweg 1, D-52056 Aachen, Germany.

Chemical Society Reviews
|January 6, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Trace metal impurities, not just added catalysts, can drive organic reactions. This review explores recent transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling findings and historical examples of trace metal catalysis.

More Related Videos

Reverse Microemulsion-mediated Synthesis of Monometallic and Bimetallic Early Transition Metal Carbide and Nitride Nanoparticles
07:47

Reverse Microemulsion-mediated Synthesis of Monometallic and Bimetallic Early Transition Metal Carbide and Nitride Nanoparticles

Published on: November 27, 2015

Catalytic Reactions at Amine-Stabilized and Ligand-Free Platinum Nanoparticles Supported on Titania During Hydrogenation of Alkenes and Aldehydes
12:08

Catalytic Reactions at Amine-Stabilized and Ligand-Free Platinum Nanoparticles Supported on Titania During Hydrogenation of Alkenes and Aldehydes

Published on: June 24, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 26, 2026

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

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

Published on: April 10, 2018

Reverse Microemulsion-mediated Synthesis of Monometallic and Bimetallic Early Transition Metal Carbide and Nitride Nanoparticles
07:47

Reverse Microemulsion-mediated Synthesis of Monometallic and Bimetallic Early Transition Metal Carbide and Nitride Nanoparticles

Published on: November 27, 2015

Catalytic Reactions at Amine-Stabilized and Ligand-Free Platinum Nanoparticles Supported on Titania During Hydrogenation of Alkenes and Aldehydes
12:08

Catalytic Reactions at Amine-Stabilized and Ligand-Free Platinum Nanoparticles Supported on Titania During Hydrogenation of Alkenes and Aldehydes

Published on: June 24, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Organic Chemistry
  • Catalysis

Background:

  • Metal-catalyzed transformations are crucial in modern organic synthesis.
  • Significant advancements in this field were recognized with the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
  • Many compounds used as catalysts contain metals essential for bond formation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight recent developments in transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions.
  • To examine historical instances demonstrating the role of trace metals in catalysis.
  • To underscore that "trace metal catalysis" is a long-standing phenomenon.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent literature on transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling.
  • Analysis of historical reports on metal catalysis.
  • Identification of catalytic species, including trace metal impurities.

Main Results:

  • Trace metal impurities can act as the active catalytic species in organic transformations.
  • The phenomenon of "trace metal catalysis" has been observed historically.
  • Recent findings in cross-coupling reactions further support the significance of trace metals.

Conclusions:

  • The effectiveness of metal-catalyzed reactions can be attributed to trace metal impurities.
  • Understanding trace metal catalysis is essential for optimizing synthetic methodologies.
  • This review provides insights into both contemporary and historical perspectives on metal catalysis.