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Reduction of Benzene to Cyclohexane: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Reduction of Benzene to Cyclohexane: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Unlike the easy catalytic hydrogenation of an alkene double bond, hydrogenation of a benzene double bond under similar reaction conditions does not take place easily. For example, in the reduction of stilbene, the benzene ring remains unaffected while the alkene bond gets reduced. Hydrogenation of an alkene double bond is exothermic and a favorable process. In contrast, to hydrogenate the first unsaturated bond of benzene, an energy input is needed; that is, the process is endothermic. This is...

Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

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...

Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

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 Hydrogenation

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...

Catalysis

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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 1, 2025

Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production

Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production

Published on: December 6, 2021

Cylindrical C₉₆ Fullertubes: A Highly Active Metal-Free O₂ -Reduction Electrocatalyst.

Mohamed Fathi Sanad¹, Hannah M Franklin², Basant A Ali³

¹Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA.

Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)

|March 7, 2022

Summary

Metal-free C96 fullerenes show excellent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity, rivaling platinum catalysts. This discovery offers a promising pathway for efficient, sustainable energy technologies in fuel cells.

Keywords:

Band Alignment C96 Electrocatalysis Fullerenes Molecular Catalysis Oxygen Reduction Reaction

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Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production

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Synthesis of Platinum-nickel Nanowires and Optimization for Oxygen Reduction Performance

Synthesis of Platinum-nickel Nanowires and Optimization for Oxygen Reduction Performance

Published on: April 27, 2018

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Electrochemistry
Nanotechnology

Background:

Fullerenes, particularly metallic nanotubes, possess unique electronic properties.
Efficient and cost-effective catalysts are crucial for electrochemical applications like fuel cells.
Metal-free catalysts are sought after to overcome limitations of precious metal catalysts.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalytic behavior of various fullerenes.
To evaluate the performance of C60, C70, C90, C96, and C100 as potential ORR catalysts.
To understand the fundamental mechanisms behind the catalytic activity of these fullerenes.

Main Methods:

Experimental characterization of electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).
Theoretical calculations including Density Functional Theory (DFT) for free-energy investigations.
Fabrication and testing of a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) utilizing C96 as a cathode catalyst.

Main Results:

Metal-free C96 fullerenes exhibited remarkable ORR activity with onset potential at 0.85 V and halfway potential at 0.75 V.
Performance of C96 closely matched state-of-the-art platinum/carbon (Pt/C) benchmark catalysts.
A proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with a C96-modified cathode achieved a power density of 0.75 W/cm², comparable to other efficient metal-free catalysts.

Conclusions:

C96 fullerenes demonstrate superior ORR catalytic activity, positioning them as a highly promising metal-free alternative.
Favorable energy-level alignment and active catalytic sites on the carbon cage contribute to C96's enhanced performance.
The findings pave the way for developing advanced, sustainable catalysts for energy conversion technologies.