Fischer-Tropsch Reaction Mechanism Involving Stepwise Growth of Carbon Chain

Abstract

Expressions are derived which predict satisfactorily the observed isomer and carbon number distribution of products from iron and cobalt catalysts in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. These expressions are based on three schemes of stepwise addition of one carbon atom to the end or adjacent-to-end carbons of the longest carbon chain of the growing group at the catalyst surface. The implications of these schemes to some general aspects of the reaction mechanism are considered.