The presence of water and other solvents strongly influences the binding of reacting substrates and hydrogen. The binding is particularly complex in aqueous environment, as the electrochemical processes at the surface influence both the metal and the adsorbed species. In addition to a competition between solvent components and hydrogen for sorption sites, part of the impact on surface stabilization is caused by differences in the sorption entropy induced by ordering in the Helmholtz layer and by the electronic impact of the dominating H<sup>+</sup>+e<sup>- </sup>/ H redox reaction. Overall, the hydrogenation rates of several substrates are reported to be strictly inversely proportional to the binding strength of hydrogen on the metal surface despite of the profound influence the solvent the solvent has also on the substrate. It will be discussed, how the nature of the metal, an additional external electric potential, and the chemical composition of the aqueous solution (pH, ionic strength) influence the binding of the reacting partners and in turn activity and selectivity.

Hydrogenation in liquid phase – understanding the role of hydrogen and substrate binding

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.