Reductive elimination

Reductive elimination is the reverse of Oxidative addition. In reductive elimination reactions, a metal center is reduced by two electrons with the loss of two ligands that must be cis to each other.

Reductive elimination reactions are most commonly seen in high oxidation state metals. Rates of reductive elimination can be accelerated by oxidation of the metal center. There are several mechanisms for oxidative addition, which are also valid mechanisms for reductive elimination because of the principle of microscopic reversibility (see oxidative addition).