Hydrogenolysis results in the formation of ?

Hydrogenolysis is an organic reaction in which a chemical bond, usually a carbon–heteroatom bond, is broken with the addition of hydrogen. This reaction is widely used in organic chemistry to reduce compounds and convert them into alkanes, which are saturated hydrocarbons containing only single bonds between carbon atoms.

In hydrogenolysis, a compound such as a halide, alcohol, ether, or other carbon–heteroatom derivative reacts with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst, commonly palladium, platinum, or nickel. The reaction cleaves the bond between carbon and the heteroatom, and hydrogen atoms replace the removed group. For example, an alkyl halide (R–X) reacts with hydrogen to form an alkane (R–H) and the corresponding halogen acid (HX).

This reaction is different from hydrogenation, where a double or triple carbon–carbon bond is reduced to a single bond, because hydrogenolysis specifically breaks carbon–heteroatom bonds. It is also distinct from other reactions like hydrolysis, where water breaks a bond, or oxidation, which adds oxygen.

Hydrogenolysis has important applications in organic synthesis and industrial chemistry. It is used to remove protecting groups, reduce functionalized organic compounds, and prepare saturated hydrocarbons. It is also a key step in the petrochemical industry to refine hydrocarbons and produce alkanes from more complex molecules.

In summary, hydrogenolysis converts compounds containing carbon–heteroatom bonds into alkanes by replacing the heteroatom with hydrogen. This reaction highlights the importance of catalysts and hydrogen in transforming functionalized molecules into saturated hydrocarbons in a controlled and efficient manner.