Catalytic Interchange of Hydrogen between Water and Ethylene and between Water and Benzene

Abstract

IT is known that, in the presence of a platinum catalyst, there is an interchange of hydrogen atoms between gaseous hydrogen and water¹. Recent observations have proved that nickel can also act as a catalyst of this reaction. On the other hand, A. Farkas, L. Farkas and E. K. Rideal² have shown that the hydrogenation of ethylene on a nickel catalyst is preceded by an interchange between the hydrogen atoms of the ethylene and the hydrogen used for hydrogenation. Afterwards it was found by the authors in collaboration with G. Ogden³ that a metallic catalyst causes a rapid exchange of hydrogen atoms between benzene and gaseous hydrogen at ordinary temperatures, while at the same time hydrogenation is very slow.