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

Radical Substitution: Hydrogenolysis of Alkyl Halides with Tributyltin Hydride01:26

Radical Substitution: Hydrogenolysis of Alkyl Halides with Tributyltin Hydride

Radical substitution reactions can be used to remove functional groups from molecules. The hydrogenolysis of alkyl halides is one such reaction, where the weak Sn–H bond in tributyltin hydride reacts with alkyl halides to form alkanes. Here, the reagent Bu3SnH yields tributyltin halide as a byproduct.
The bonds formed in this reaction are stronger than the bonds broken, making it energetically favorable. The reaction follows a radical chain mechanism similar to radical halogenation reactions,...
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.
Radical Formation: Homolysis00:54

Radical Formation: Homolysis

A bond is formed between two atoms by sharing two electrons. When this bond is broken by supplying sufficient energy, either two electrons can be taken up by one atom forming ions by the cleavage called heterolysis, or the two electrons are shared by two atoms, with one each creating radicals by the cleavage called homolysis.
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.
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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Theoretical Study on the Mechanism of Lignin Depolymerization by Choline Amino Acid Ionic Liquids.

The journal of physical chemistry. B·2026
Same author

Correction to "Magnolol Hybrid Nanofibrous Mat with Antibacterial, Anti-Inflammatory, and Microvascularized Properties for Wound Treatment".

Biomacromolecules·2026
Same author

Integrated single-cell analysis identifies a ferroptosis-resistant tumor microenvironment subset in renal cell carcinoma.

International urology and nephrology·2026
Same author

Re-administration of AAV-mediated gene therapy for OTOF-related deafness: a single-arm trial.

Nature medicine·2026
Same author

Revisiting InternVL: A Systematic Technical Framework for Building Powerful Open-Source Vision-Language Models.

IEEE transactions on pattern analysis and machine intelligence·2026
Same author

A multimodal interpretable deep learning-radiomics framework for predicting lymph node metastasis following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer: a multicenter validation study.

NPJ precision oncology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

The Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of a Series of Ruthenium N-triphosPh Complexes
10:51

The Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of a Series of Ruthenium N-triphosPh Complexes

Published on: April 10, 2015

Dinitrogen cleavage and hydrogenation by a trinuclear titanium polyhydride complex.

Takanori Shima1, Shaowei Hu, Gen Luo

  • 1Advanced Catalysis Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|July 2, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Researchers explored how trinuclear titanium polyhydride complexes react with dinitrogen (N2). This study reveals dinitrogen cleavage and partial hydrogenation at ambient conditions, advancing ammonia synthesis understanding.

More Related Videos

Line Shape Analysis of Dynamic NMR Spectra for Characterizing Coordination Sphere Rearrangements at a Chiral Rhenium Polyhydride Complex
10:52

Line Shape Analysis of Dynamic NMR Spectra for Characterizing Coordination Sphere Rearrangements at a Chiral Rhenium Polyhydride Complex

Published on: July 27, 2022

Accessing Valuable Ligand Supports for Transition Metals: A Modified, Intermediate Scale Preparation of 1,2,3,4,5-Pentamethylcyclopentadiene
09:45

Accessing Valuable Ligand Supports for Transition Metals: A Modified, Intermediate Scale Preparation of 1,2,3,4,5-Pentamethylcyclopentadiene

Published on: March 20, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 10, 2026

The Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of a Series of Ruthenium N-triphosPh Complexes
10:51

The Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of a Series of Ruthenium N-triphosPh Complexes

Published on: April 10, 2015

Line Shape Analysis of Dynamic NMR Spectra for Characterizing Coordination Sphere Rearrangements at a Chiral Rhenium Polyhydride Complex
10:52

Line Shape Analysis of Dynamic NMR Spectra for Characterizing Coordination Sphere Rearrangements at a Chiral Rhenium Polyhydride Complex

Published on: July 27, 2022

Accessing Valuable Ligand Supports for Transition Metals: A Modified, Intermediate Scale Preparation of 1,2,3,4,5-Pentamethylcyclopentadiene
09:45

Accessing Valuable Ligand Supports for Transition Metals: A Modified, Intermediate Scale Preparation of 1,2,3,4,5-Pentamethylcyclopentadiene

Published on: March 20, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • Catalysis
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Ammonia synthesis, crucial for agriculture, involves breaking the strong N≡N triple bond.
  • Both industrial (Haber-Bosch) and biological pathways utilize multiple metals for N2 activation.
  • Understanding molecular mechanisms of N2 reduction is key to developing efficient catalysts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the reactivity of molecular multimetallic hydrides with dinitrogen.
  • To elucidate the mechanism of dinitrogen cleavage and hydrogenation by a trinuclear titanium polyhydride complex.
  • To explore novel pathways for ammonia synthesis.

Main Methods:

  • Reaction of a trinuclear titanium polyhydride complex with dinitrogen (N2).
  • Spectroscopic analysis including (1)H and (15)N nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).
  • X-ray crystallography and computational studies to determine reaction intermediates and products.

Main Results:

  • Dinitrogen cleavage and partial hydrogenation of N2 occurred at ambient temperature and pressure.
  • The reaction proceeds via sequential steps involving N2 binding to three Ti atoms.
  • A μ2-N/μ3-N dinitrido species is formed, followed by intramolecular hydrogen migration.

Conclusions:

  • The study demonstrates a novel pathway for dinitrogen reduction using a titanium polyhydride complex.
  • This work provides insights into the cooperative role of multiple metals in N2 activation.
  • Findings contribute to the fundamental understanding of ammonia synthesis mechanisms.