Question

Give the conditions and the main products formed by hydrogenation of ethene. 

Answer 1

When ethene and hydrogen are passed over a finely divided catalyst such as platinum or palladium at ordinary temperature or nickel at 200°C, the two atoms of the hydrogen molecule are added to the unsaturated molecule, which thus becomes a saturated one. 

\[\ce{\underset{Ethene}{C2H4} + H2 ->[200^\circ C][Ni] \underset{Ethane}{C2H6}}\]