Wilkinson's catalyst

<p>Wilkinson's catalyst (chloridotris(triphenylphosphine)rhodium(I)) is a <a href="/facts/Coordination_complex/1tCyeQUm">coordination complex</a> of <a href="/facts/Rhodium/xmBd9aFG">rhodium</a> with the formula [RhCl(PPh3)3], where 'Ph' denotes a <a href="/facts/Phenyl_group/Ql9Yx5uu">phenyl group</a>. It is a red-brown colored solid that is soluble in hydrocarbon solvents such as benzene, and more so in <a href="/facts/Tetrahydrofuran/P5t6SkMK">tetrahydrofuran</a> or chlorinated solvents such as <a href="/facts/Dichloromethane/mHyeTD2D">dichloromethane</a>. The compound is widely used as a catalyst for hydrogenation of <a href="/facts/Alkene/RtYcS6kU">alkenes</a>. It is named after chemist and Nobel laureate Sir <a href="/facts/Geoffrey_Wilkinson/BQ3GXMga">Geoffrey Wilkinson</a>, who first popularized its use.
</p><p>Historically, Wilkinson's catalyst has been a paradigm in catalytic studies leading to several advances in the field such as the implementation of some of the first heteronuclear magnetic resonance studies for its structural elucidation in solution (31P), <a href="/facts/Parahydrogen/zhN4qBMQ">parahydrogen-induced polarization spectroscopy</a> to determine the nature of transient reactive species, or one of the first detailed kinetic investigation by Halpern to elucidate the mechanism. Furthermore, the catalytic and organometallic studies on Wilkinson's catalyst also played a significant role on the subsequent development of cationic Rh- and Ru-based asymmetric hydrogenation transfer catalysts which set the foundations for modern asymmetric catalysis.
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Wilkinson's catalyst open-in-new

Wilkinson's catalyst