On the mechanism of fischer-tropsch synthesis on a single crystal nickel catalyst

The ability to determine under reaction conditions the coverage of active surface carbon (from 10 to 50% of a monolayer, the highest possible coverage without causing deactivation of the catalyst surface) and to relate these measurements to products yields (spanning a range of 3 orders of magnitude) leads to the conclusion that adsorbed molecular CO is directly involved in higher hydrocarbon synthesis. Two sets of experiments were conducted, one at low carbide coverage and the other at high carbide coverage. At both of these concentrations, the rate of methane production is independent of the partial pressure of CO (P/sub CO/) while the rate of higher hydrocarbon production depends strongly on P/sub CO/. The present data show that under steady-state conditions the higher hydrocarbon production rate is dominated by a CO insertion mechanism. 9 references, 2 figures, 1 table.