Adsorption of the brominated aromatic molecule 1,3,5-tris(4-bromophenyl)benzene on different metallic substrates, namely Cu(111), Ag(111), and Ag(110), has been studied by variable-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Depending on substrate temperature, material, and crystallographic orientation, a surface-catalyzed dehalogenation reaction is observed. Deposition onto the catalytically more active substrates Cu(111) and Ag(110) held at room temperature leads to cleavage of carbon−bromine bonds and subsequent formation of protopolymers, i.e., radical metal coordination complexes and networks. However, upon deposition on Ag(111) no such reaction has been observed. Instead, various self-assembled ordered structures emerged, all based on intact molecules. Also sublimation onto either substrate held at ∼80 K did not result in any dehalogenation, thereby exemplifying the necessity of thermal activation. The observed differences in catalytic activity are explained by a combination of electronic and geometric effects. A mechanism is proposed, where initial charge transfer from substrate to adsorbate, followed by subsequent intramolecular charge transfer, facilitates C−Br bond homolysis.