(695b) Mechanistic Study of the Hydrogenolysis of Diaryl Ethers Catalyzed By Heterogeneous Metal Catalysts

Manipulating reaction pathways of metal-catalyzed reactions is key to efficiently convert polar aromatic compounds. Diaryl ethers undergo C-O hydrogenolysis and hydrogenation with rates that depend on the specificity of the metal. We are studying the corresponding catalytic chemistry of Ni, Pd, Ru and Pt with reaction kinetics and experiments with isotopically labeled reactants. We have found a common reaction mechanisms for all studied metals but different isotopic effects, which points to the interaction of hydrogen with the metal as the factor determining selectivity. The details of the mechanisms, which are being tested by theoretical calculations, will be reported and selectivity rationalized as a function of the binding energy of reactants with the metal.