Decarbonylation favored over decarboxylation mechanism in all reaction environments.
Solvents stabilize dehydrogenated propionate on Pd and facilitate decarboxylation.
Propanoyl–methoxy type dissociations most rate controlling in liquid water.
Dehydrogenation steps most rate controlling in liquid dioxane and vapor phase.
Activity of Pd(1 1 1) lower in water than in 1,4-dioxane and vapor phase.