Understanding Methane Activation at Pt Centers from the Perspective of Microscopic Reversibility

Abstract

Despite 50 years since Shilov's seminal discovery, till date no practical systems for catalytic methane functionalization, one of the grandest challenges of chemistry, exist. Approaches to tackle this can be segregated into two, but often overlapping, themes – synthetic efforts focusing on the development of new metal–ligand platforms and mechanistic efforts focusing on step‐wise delineation of the intended catalytic cycle. This article discusses the mechanism of methane activation from the perspective of microscopic reversibility as inferred through kinetic isotope effects and observation of isotope scrambling.