Nature Communications (Feb 2020)

Mechanistic insight into carbon-carbon bond formation on cobalt under simulated Fischer-Tropsch synthesis conditions

  • C. J. (Kees-Jan) Weststrate,
  • Devyani Sharma,
  • Daniel Garcia Rodriguez,
  • Michael A. Gleeson,
  • Hans O. A. Fredriksson,
  • J. W. (Hans) Niemantsverdriet

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14613-5
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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The mechanism by which C-C bonds form during Fischer-Tropsch synthesis remains debated while spectroscopic identification of reaction intermediates remains scarce. Here, the authors identify alkylidynes as reactive intermediates for C-C bond formation on cobalt terrace sites and moreover show that these intermediates are stabilized by the high surface coverage typical for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.