A Small Mercury Drop and a Quick Catalytic Stop: A Toxic Test for Homogeneity
Date
2023-03-16
Authors
Fisher, Tiago
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Abstract
Understanding the identity of catalytic species is critical for improving their performance and capabilities. Of the many techniques that exist, the mercury drop test is often used to conclude on the nature of homogenous species. Using a combination of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and pressurized sample infusion, we monitored the results of the mercury drop test during catalyst activation and oxidative addition in real time. The use of sulphonated analogues of PPh3 and PhI allowed for the detection of several key species, and their structures were assigned with the aid of tandem mass spectrometry. We found that Hg(0) interacts with several catalytically relevant homogenous Pd(0) and Pd(II) species through a variety of mechanisms, making the test’s limitations evident.
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Keywords
catalysis, mercury, palladium, mass spectrometry, homogeneity