of the rate back towards the base level kinetic runs were performed as in example 1 but with the temperature of the reactor maintained at 210 u00b0 c measured hydrogenolysis reaction rates are shown in fig6 rate data for runs during which various potentials were applied to the metal catalyst are omitted but may be found in fig7 at this temperature applications of potential differences as high as 3000 vdc had no apparent effect on increasing catalytic activity in runs carried out immediately after those during which such potentials were applied a series of kinetic experiments on the nickel catalyzed hydrogenolysis of ethylene reaction ii above was performed under conditions similar to those used in the experiments of example 2 ethylene gas being substituted for ethane rate data for a number of kinetic runs is presented in fig8 significant post voltage application rate enhancement was found in four runs performed after a hydrogenolysis was accomplished while the catalyst was biased at a negative 1700 vdc relative to the aluminum cylinder it is interesting to note that the rate of decay of catalytic activity in runs 5 9 is very similar to that observed in the hydrogenolysis of ethane performed at the same temperature see fig4 runs 13 17 this suggests that the same mechanism may be responsible in both reactions for the decay in enhanced catalytic activity in view of the apparent improved catalytic activity which obtained immediately following runs wherein certain minimum negative potentials were applied to the catalyst a series of experiments was performed to determine whether the phenomenon was time dependent the results of these experiments carried out at 300 u00b0 c and 264 torr total pressure are shown in fig1 after establishing the baseline regular activity of the catalyst in the first.