Catalytic hydrogenation

Development of catalytic hydrogenation is one of the most significant chapters in theoretical and applied chemistry, which led to the opening of a whole series of new industries, particularly in the petrochemical area. The mechanism for a catalytic reaction involving the presence of an intermediate complex formed by the catalysts and one of the reagents, which eventually led to our present understanding of the phenomenon was suggested by Paul Sabatier. For his achievements in the development of catalytic processes Sabatier was awarded the 1912 Nobel Prize of chemistry, together with Victor Grignard.