Wilkinson's Catalyst

Professor Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson, FRS, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, died on September 26,1996

His work had a wide effect on inorganic chemistry and started the field of organometallic chemistry.

One of his chemical discoveries earned his name, Wilkinson's Catalyst. This organometallic compound activates small organic molecules such that the bond-breaking and bond-formation pathways are readily accessible.

Wilkinson's Catalyst is a rhodium metal complex with three large phosphine ligands coordinated to the metal centre, Rh(PPh₃)₃Cl. The catalytic chemistry is illustrated in the following animations.

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Chime Commands: [Press mouse to rotate] [Press SHIFT and mouse to zoom] [Press and hold for more Instructions and Options] [ Other Molecules]