Catalysis in Organic Chemistry

Abstract

BY the invitation of the University of London, Paul Sabatier, of Toulouse, delivered two lectures on catalysis at King's College on May 14 and 15. On Wednesday evening, May 13, he was entertained by the Faraday Society at a complimentary dinner, at which Prof. Arrhenius and Prof. Heyn, of Berlin, were also present as guests. The two lectures were delivered in French, and were illustrated by a series of experiments in which the catalytic action of nickel, of copper, of alumina, of zinc oxide, of titanium dioxide, and of thoria were shown in actual operation. Prof. Sabatier is a whole-hearted advocate of the chemical as opposed to the physical theory of catalysis. He holds that in all cases intermediate compounds are formed, e.g. PtO in catalytic oxidations in presence of platinum, and NiHa in catalytic reductions in presence of finelv divided nickel. He finds ample support for his views in the totally different effects that are often produced by catalysts which are almost identical in their physical properties. Thus formic acid vapour is decomposed wholly into hydrogen and carbon dioxide when passed over zinc oxide, but into water and carbonic oxide when passed over titanium dioxide:—