Catalytic hydrogen-chlorine exchange between chlorinated hydrocarbons under oxygen-free conditions

(Figure Presented) Pass the parcel: Activity experiments show that LaCl₃ supported on carbon nanofibers is a highly active, selective, and stable catalyst for the H-Cl exchange reaction between CCl₄ and CH₂Cl₂ to form CHCl₃ (see scheme) in the absence of either lattice or gas-phase oxygen. Density functional calculations suggest that the reaction proceeds through the formation of weakly adsorbed Cl and H species which can be exchanged between the reactants.