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Decades of chemistry rewritten: A textbook reaction just flipped

Penn State researchers have uncovered a surprising twist in a foundational chemical reaction known as oxidative addition. Typically believed to involve transition metals donating electrons to organic compounds, the team discovered an alternate path—one in which electrons instead move from the organic molecule to the metal. This reversal, demonstrated using platinum and palladium exposed to hydrogen gas, could mean chemists have misunderstood a fundamental step for decades. The discovery opens the door to fresh opportunities in industrial chemistry and pollution control, especially through new reaction designs using electron-deficient metals.

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