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11 grade chemistry others

Give one example (equation) of a homogeneously catalysed reaction and name the catalyst.

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1 Year agoGrade
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1 Year ago

One example of a homogeneously catalyzed reaction is the hydrogenation of alkenes, where hydrogen gas (H₂) reacts with an alkene in the presence of a catalyst to form an alkane. The catalyst commonly used for this reaction is a transition metal complex, such as a Wilkinson's catalyst. The equation for the hydrogenation of ethene (C₂H₄) using Wilkinson's catalyst is:

C₂H₄ + H₂ → C₂H₆

In the presence of Wilkinson's catalyst (usually rhodium trichloride with triphenylphosphine), the double bond in ethene is broken, and two hydrogen atoms are added to form ethane (C₂H₆).