User:Isthmus labrat/beta Hydride Elimination

This is my draft of an article on beta-hydride elimination

β-hydride (β-H) elimination is one of the elementary reactions in organometallic chemistry. It occurs when the β-H of a metal alkyl is transfered to the metal to form a metal hydride alkene complex. The reverse reaction is alkene insertion into the metal hydride. The two reactions form an equilibrium in which thermodynamics control the distribution between metal alkyl and metal hydride alkene complex. A requirement for β-H elimination is an open coordination site on the metal cis to the alkyl group.

beta-hydride elimination is an important step in the mechanisms of many catalytic reactions. Typically, β-H elimination frees the unsaturated product from the catalyst. It is an important step in catalytic alkene polymerization, the Heck reaction, and alkene isomerization.

β-alkyl elimination is also known, but is much rarer than beta-hydride elimination.