Opinion — On a New Mechamistic Model Toward the Catalytic Reactions: From Hydrogen Combustion to Fischer-Tropsch Reaction

Mechanism research in catalytic chemistry is both fascinating and confusing, particularly when it comes to solid-state catalysts, the nature of catalytic behaviours has been unidentified so far. For a mechanistic model to be acceptable, it should have an ability to explain all unique aspects of a given catalytic reaction and provide an illuminating explanation to a widely range of catalytic reaction. In our recent reports, a new mechanistic model was suggested for catalytic CO₂ reduction reaction on Cu metal and hydrogen evolution reaction on various transition metals, which provides a reasonable interpretation to both catalytic reactions (from the diversity of product distribution and catalytic behaviour of various metals). Here, it is expected to extend this new mechanistic model to a wider range of catalytic reactions over various catalysts. Such as hydrogen combustion with Cu metal adding, oxidation of SO₂ by O₂ to give SO₃ with NO adding, conversion of CO and NO into CO₂ and N₂ with Ru metal adding, and hydrogeneration of propylene with Pt metal adding. Importantly, this model seems also to pertain to the mechanism of the Fischer-Tropsch (T-F) reaction, i.e. the conversion of CO and H₂ to hydrocarbons, principally a mixture of linear alkanes (including methane) and alkenes, by passage over various heterogeneous transition-metal catalysts (Fe, Co, Ni et.al.).